October 5-11,2025
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
Banned Books Week 2025 will be October 5-11. The theme of this year’s event is "Censorship is so 1984."
First, it's important to emphasize that neither librarians nor libraries ban or challenge books! Libraries are all about the freedom to read, and librarians discourage censorship in all forms. Typically, a book challenge or banning occurs when an individual or a group decides that a particular book does not belong on the library shelf because of something that particular individual or group dislikes about the book. Perhaps they think it uses offensive language or presents an idea that is radical or different from societal norms. Perhaps these individuals believe they need to protect children or another group from non-mainstream, difficult, or controversial ideas and information. Parents challenge books more often than any other individual or group, but other examples are: government bodies, elected officials, religious organizations or officials, board members, and even teachers!
The top three reasons why books are challenged or banned are: sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to any age group. Other reasons include racism, anti-family, nudity, suicide, drugs, violence, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and others!
The American Library Association documented 821 attempts to censor materials and services at libraries, schools, and universities in 2024. The most common reasons for challenges were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and dealing with topics of race, racism, inclusivity, equity, and social justice. Of the 2,452 unique titles challenged or banned in 2024, below are the top 10 most frequently targeted. These ten are only a small representation of the books challenged or banned across the United States! Celebrate your freedom to read - stop by the Hoffman Family Library or your local public library today to check out one of these (or other) books.
