Banned Books Week 2008!
Sep
27
2008

The last week of September every year is declared Banned Books Week by the ALA. This is the from official description from their website (can be read in its entirety thruogh the link above):

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

So from now until October 3rd, I’ll be observing BBW here at my blog as I’ve done the last three years and I hope you all will too in whatever way you can.

2 comments to “Banned Books Week 2008!”

  1. Dana
    September 27th, 2008 at 5:20 pm · Link

    Ok, the title alone sounds nothing like what BBW is about. Unless, I’m mistaking in what it supposed to be about. It sounded as if it’s about FREEDOM of SPEECH that would include one’s opinions about anything…or everything.

    Commenting on a particuliar episode I had(Epi being the polite form I will use ) on REAL book banning… I overheard many years ago a local radio conversation discussing a how a nearby local school was BANNING “My Friend Flicka/Flicker?” as well as one of the “Lassie” stories.

    Why?

    Because in said book the word “Bitch” was used.

    I’m pretty outspoken as is, much less when some local yokel who is about as illiterate as Fred Flintstone (no offense Fred) decides that rather than TEACH what the TRUE definition of BITCH is, would rather BURN the book.

    I believe in the FREEDOMS to alert the school you do not WISH for YOUR child to read said book….I DEMAND the freedoms that allow ME to make up MY OWN damn mind about what I will or will NOT allow MY child/children to read.

    Regardless of the turn out…It saddened me to see that rather than teach proper english, we would rather alter our libraries contents.

    Just an opinion…and I think in tune with BBW.

    ~ v ~



  2. Lauren
    September 27th, 2008 at 5:31 pm · Link

    Well, the title is Banned Books Week, and the week is about Banned Books and freedom of expression so I don’t know, it seems totally accurate to me 😉