CSLA Blog: Why should I promote Banned Books Week?

Heather Gruenthal

Southern Region President

Teacher Librarian, LBUSD

Lindsey Middle School and Stanford Middle School

Twitter @hgruenthal

Why should I promote Banned Books Week?

It’s important to educate your students, parents, and staff on the procedures regarding challenging instructional materials so that you are not caught off guard when faced with a challenge. Following the proper procedures will protect everyone involved and possibly avoid a lawsuit.

If using the term “Banned Books” is too controversial for your school climate, consider Celebrating the Freedom To Read with these ideas from Scholastic. And if it just can’t be done in September, use these activities at another time of the year such as when English Language Arts Classes are reading a controversial novel.

#1 Be ready to face any challenge by finding out your board policy on removal of instructional materials and the forms needed to file a challenge. Have copies readily available for when you receive a complaint. Be sure to, report the challenge to ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The ALA estimates that up to 97% of challenges are never reported:

This Infographic is Available to print from the ALA’s Free Download’s Page.

#2 Create a newsletter to send out to your staff informing them on how to face a materials challenge in your district. Make this an annual reminder during Banned Books Week each year. Here are some suggestions from Education World: Banning Books from the Classroom: How to Handle Cries for Censorship.

#3 Put an Announcement in the Bulletin about Banned Books Week

If you are not sure how to start talking about Banned Books at your site, read this Banned Books Week Q & A from ALA.

#4 Make a list of the Banned Books you have in your collection. Use ALA's top 100 list as a place to start. These books will have already passed your school district’s selection process, so it’s safe to promote them. In the display below from Western High School, the books that are chained up are all taught in English Language Arts Classes.

#5 Create a "Caught Reading a Banned Book" Background to use in posts on social media. Let students take pictures and post with your school’s #hashtag.

#6 Have a Banned Books Trading Cards or Bookmark contest. Ask your Art teacher to get involved.

#7 Make Banned Books book covers for your display. This can be done as a class activity.

● Make a paper bag book cover with instructions from WikiHow

● Look up the reasons for challenges in the Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle from the ALA Store.

● You can also use ALA's List of Most Frequently Challenged Books by Year as a free source online.

#8 Make Book Marks with information about challenged books. This display was created by Ticia Riche, Library Media Technician at Western High School using the Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle from the ALA Store.