Annual Banned Books Week comes as schools, libraries face rising censorship challenges
(CBS DETROIT) - Banned Books Week, which was first held in 1982, celebrates the freedom to read as schools and libraries throughout the nation face rising challenges about banning books.
According to PEN America, a nonprofit working to protect free speech, in the 2022-2023 school year, there were 3,362 instances of book bans in classrooms, causing students to lose access to 1,557 book titles.
This was a 33% increase from the 2021-2022 school year.
Banned Books Week is held from Oct. 1 through Oct. 7. It serves as a time for librarians, teachers, publishers, writers, journalists and more to come together to support the freedom to read and express ideas to draw attention to censorship concerns.
"This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom on the organization's website. "Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs."
In Michigan, several communities posed concerns about books available in district schools and libraries.
After months of public comment, the Dearborn School Board decided to ban two books from its libraries in November 2022 while letting some others remain on the shelves for high school students.
The two books removed throughout the district were Push by Sapphire and Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. To see what other decisions the board made, visit here.
In March, a Lapeer County librarian faced criticism from the community over the book titled "Gender Queer," being on the shelves.
In May, the Michigan Library Association commissioned EPIC-MRA, a survey research firm, to conduct a survey about the awareness and attitudes toward censorship and banning in local public libraries throughout the state. They received 800 responses, and the majority of Michigan voters opposed banning books.
For this year's Banned Book Week, the University of Michigan gave community members free books to celebrate.
Each community member could receive one free book. The university offered 16 titles that covered the themes of race, sexuality, gender and more.
