Washoe County Library System will celebrate the freedom to read during national Banned Books Week from September 22 through September 28, 2024. This year’s Banned Books Week theme is “Freed Between the Lines.”
Banned Books Week expresses opposition to national and local efforts to remove or restrict access to books in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Launched in 1982, this annual event highlights the freedom to explore new ideas and emphasizes the importance of the fight against censorship. Washoe County Library will mark the celebration by featuring frequently challenged titles on display and available to check out throughout the library system. Additionally, families are invited to attend “Books Unbanned Story Time,” a special story time series featuring frequently challenged picture books.
“Banned Books Week is a reminder that Washoe County Library serves everyone in the community as well as provides a variety of experiences and perspectives,” Library Director Jeff Scott said.
Between January 1 and August 31, 2024, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented challenges to 1,128 unique titles nationwide. This reflects an overall increase in the number of book challenges recorded prior to 2020. Library staff across the country frequently field book ban attempts aimed at limiting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices.
In the last year, Washoe County Library Collection Development Manager Debi Stears has received 27 challenges to items in the collection, with challengers requesting to have access restricted or outright removal. Stears states, “Banned Books Week is a great reminder that it is our responsibility to create a collection that represents the wide range of viewpoints of our community. It’s a real celebration that within the library, each of us can find our own stories represented and at the same time explore new ideas.” More recently, Stears has observed an uptick in less formal methods of challenging books occurring at multiple Washoe County Library locations. Titles found to have been intentionally damaged or hidden by members of the public include books about the LGBTQIA+ community, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, politics, sexuality, and the Holocaust.
Patrons are invited to visit a Banned Books Week display at any Washoe County Library location, explore online displays at catalog.washoecountylibrary.us, and learn more about local and nationwide efforts to combat censorship at bannedbooksweek.org. Visit washoecountylibary.us for library locations and hours and for online access to downloadable copies of frequently challenged titles.