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Get Ready Now for Banned Books Week the First Week of October
It’s more crucial now than ever
Every year I encourage people to celebrate Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the freedom to read that has been held at the end of September or beginning of October every year since 1982. This year’s Banned Books Week happens from October 1st to October 7th, and the theme for 2023 is “Let Freedom Read.” Normally, I will write a story on the first day of the event and at least one other during the week highlighting a specific banned book.
This year is different. This year, I’m beating the drum two weeks early as well so that you can prepare for it rather than realize it’s happening midway through (or worse, two days after it’s over). The American Library Association doesn’t have the resources to promote the thing that the NFL, college football, and the new season of The Voice do, so it’s up to us to spread the word because this matters far more than any of those things.
The attempt to ban books from schools and libraries has always existed, but the issue has reached a crisis point over the past year. I’ve written about it multiple times recently, including stories on the banning of books about farting, the use of ChatGPT to choose which books to ban, and the accidental banning of the Bible in Texas. It’s madness, and just this…
