As many of you know, I don't believe in banning books (or anything really) and for the past several years, I've used my blog to spread the word about the American Library Association's annual Banned Book Week. Banned Book Week, sponsored by the ALA among other organizations*, highlights books that have been banned or challenged, discusses the pros and cons of banning and of censorship and encourages people to make their own decisions. I'm still planning this year's blog event but it will be smaller and simpler than in previous years.
In the meantime, there are some things, dear reader, that you can do to support the cause. According to the daily book business newsletter, Shelf Awareness, The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression is seeking donations of original children's art for an online auction that will be conducted during Banned Books Week, which this year is being held September 30-October 6. The first such auction, building on the Children's Art Auction held annually at BookExpo America, was held last year and raised more than $5,000.
For more information, or to donate, click here.
The ABFFE will also be repeating, Net Read-Out, an event from last year that was popular and brought much attention to Banned Book Week. In conjunction with booksellers and other interested people, more than 800 videos of people reading from banned books were posted on YouTube. Interested? Click here.
I thought about doing a video last year and wimped out. Maybe this year. IF I do, I'll post it on the blog as well as on YouTube.
*Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; the Freedom to Read Foundation; National Coalition Against Censorship; National Council of Teachers of English; National Association of College Stores; and the PEN American Center. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and Project Censored.
