Washoe County Library System will celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week from October 5 through October 11, 2025. This year’s Banned Books Week theme is “Censorship is so 1984. Read for your Rights.” Launched in 1982, this annual event spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
Legendary actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week. “Books are an essential foundation of democracy,” said Mr. Takei. “Our ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ depends on a public that is informed and empathetic, and books teach us both information and empathy. Yet the right to read is now under attack from school boards and politicians across America. I’m proud to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, because I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, then as a gay young man in the closet, I felt confused and hungry for understanding about myself and the world around me. Now, as an author, I share my own stories so that new generations will be better informed about their history and themselves. Please stand with me in opposing censorship, so that we all can find ourselves — and each other — in books.”
Every year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The most common justifications for censorship provided by complainants were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and covering topics of race, racism, equity, and social justice.
Washoe County Library will mark the celebration by featuring frequently challenged titles on display and available to check out throughout the library system. Patrons are also invited to participate in the Banned Books Reading Challenge through October 10. Using the Beanstack app, participants can sign up, select a title from our Banned Books reading list, and read just one book to complete the challenge. All book formats count — print, ebook, or audiobook. For more information, visit washoelibrary.org/readingchallenges.
To learn more about nationwide efforts to combat censorship, visit ala.org/bbooks. For library locations and hours and for online access to downloadable copies of frequently challenged titles, visit washoecountylibary.us.
