Chip off the old block..

"American Veterans in Defense of Democracy shredded several books Oct. 8th as part of an anti-pornography demonstration held outside six branches of the Montgomery County (Texas) Memorial Library System."
Read the rest of this article and find out why.
American Libraries, November 2005 Pg. 21.

And ponder this question, is book shredding democratic?

The Censorship Page

http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/
You know, I'm encouraged by all the sites out there that deal with censorship and intellectual freedom because the more we all know about this most serious issue, the better prepared we are to ensure that we NEVER lose this precious right.

More Policies and Procedures for challenged books

http://www.wlma.org/WaLibraries/policyconcepts.htm
This is the Washington Library Media Association's site. Great, great reference for anyone looking for clear, concise information regarding challenged books. Many great links here as well. Hope this helps someone, sometime......

Challenging the Challengers

Here's an article with some great ideas for Banned Books Week (OK, it's just about a year away, but it's never too soon to latch on to some innovative ways to highlight the importance of intellectual freedom).

"Challenging the Challengers," Publishers Weekly, 9/15/2003
Vol. 250, Issue 37, p18.

Read it now, think about it and keep it on file as a reference for future Banned Books Week.

Shine a Light on Me........

"Every burned book enlightens the world." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Forbidden but not forgotten

http://www.forbiddenlibrary.com/
I feel it's important to understand your adversary. This is a sight that addresses that issue. Here you can read about challenged books, find out who they've been challenged by and WHY!
This is so IMPORTANT!!!! Educate yourself so that you can make a clear, articulate argument in favor of intellectual freedom.

Read the Reviews

I think it's time to start talking about actual challenged books and the best way to begin (I believe) is to read reviews of said books to get an idea of how they are greeted when released. First in this series of posts is "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." From the moment this series was introduced, it has been challenged, in most part due to its magical content. These books are works of fiction, they are fantasy and yet woven into this make-believe world of wizards and muggles is a time-tested theme of good vs. evil and certainly a most intriguing coming-of-age story.
Here's a link to a review at TeenReads:
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/o439784549

While you're on this sight take some time to read about other reviewed/challenged books.

Students Take a Stand

It warms my heart to know that although this country seems mired in a state of apathy there are still those who are not afraid, who are in fact compelled to stand up for their rights.
Read about a group of students in Kansas who did just that when a teacher pulled a challenged book.

Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Chicago, Jan 2004, Vol. 53, Iss. 1; pg. 12

Monkey See, Monkey Do?

That's what some people fear and why they don't want certain books on library shelves. Read the article: " OFt-banned Author Speaks to Students in Moulton, Ala." Author Chris Crutcher talks to students at Athens Middle School about the importance of stories.

Knight Rider Tribune Business News, Washington. Sept. 27, 2005, pg. 1
Author: Clyde L. Stancil
Proquest ID#: 903156381

The never ending story.....

I came across this site recently and urge you all to spend some time here, not just browsing, but really reading the material. Some great information here on why books were banned and how and where they were eventually published. If you’re not too familiar with the pervasiveness of censorship, this site may help to enlighten you. I know I am consistently amazed (and appalled) by the very idea of anybody determining what I should and should not read. This amazement is always furthered when I see a list of banned books. Gone with The Wind, Call of The Wild, Silas Marner and Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, all have been banned at one time or another here and abroad. I can’t imagine my life without these and countless other books, stories, poems and plays. Can you?

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/banned-books.html banned books on line selected from the indexes of the online books page ( < http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ >),