There is a great deal of chatter these days on the responsibilities and consequences of living in a country that holds freedom of expression in high esteem.
I can think of no better way to exercise that freedom than to indulge in some literature that has served to tie certain individuals and groups in knots over the centuries.
Several like-minded organizations–publishers, librarians, anti-censorship groups, and others–worked together to launch the website, bannedbooksweek.org. Among its resources:
The American Library Association has tons of interesting info, such as:
- What’s the difference between a “challenged” book, and one that is “banned?”
- And, a database of frequently challenged books
I think my favorite resource thus far is the Beacon for Freedom of Expression website. It is dedicated to the library of Alexandria and is an international bibliographical database on challenged writings. It also explores why individuals and societies are compelled to censor.
Select a title and go to it!
