2008 Woodie Awards
Banned Books Week meets challenge
Daniel Khan Ramirez
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: In Focus
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Beginning Sept. 29 through Oct. 6, Chabot College's library, will be one of many across the nation observing Banned Books Week.
Banned Books Week celebrates an author's freedom of speech and people's right to read what they please.
Since it began in 1982, Banned Books Week has always been observed on the last week of September.
Even though it is called Banned Books Week, many of the books singled out for support are not banned but challenged.
The American Library Association (ALA) says that the reason books are challenged is to protect kids from difficult ideas and information.
Books that are sexually explicit contain offensive language, or which are considered unsuitable for an age group, are the three biggest reasons a book may be challenged.
The ALA website also states, "Most books are challenged when they go against the beliefs and values of a certain group or individual."
The fact that many of these books haven't been banned is credited to the numerous librarians who chose to keep the books in their shelf collections.
One might be surprised at which books have been challenged.
Chabot's Library System Manager Carol Baumann said, "The whole Harry Potter series has been challenged because of a witchcraft connection, and I really enjoyed those."
So, when not worrying about Lord Voldemort, Harry has to worry about people who want to censor his magic.
Chabot has been celebrating and honoring the event for the last five years.
This year Chabot's library will have a showcase of some of the challenged books, and a list of previously challenged books.
Baumann said that, "The college library will be displaying most of the books except for a few from the children's and science fiction genres."
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, and Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger are a few of the books which were recently removed from the list after many years.
For more information on banned books week visit the American Library Association's Web site at www.ala.org.
Regarding what students should get from banned books week, Baumann said, "Your ability to say what you really think comes from having read a lot and thought about a lot of things and having an informed opinion. A way to achieve this is to read a lot of different stuff."
Banned Books Week celebrates an author's freedom of speech and people's right to read what they please.
Since it began in 1982, Banned Books Week has always been observed on the last week of September.
Even though it is called Banned Books Week, many of the books singled out for support are not banned but challenged.
The American Library Association (ALA) says that the reason books are challenged is to protect kids from difficult ideas and information.
Books that are sexually explicit contain offensive language, or which are considered unsuitable for an age group, are the three biggest reasons a book may be challenged.
The ALA website also states, "Most books are challenged when they go against the beliefs and values of a certain group or individual."
The fact that many of these books haven't been banned is credited to the numerous librarians who chose to keep the books in their shelf collections.
One might be surprised at which books have been challenged.
Chabot's Library System Manager Carol Baumann said, "The whole Harry Potter series has been challenged because of a witchcraft connection, and I really enjoyed those."
So, when not worrying about Lord Voldemort, Harry has to worry about people who want to censor his magic.
Chabot has been celebrating and honoring the event for the last five years.
This year Chabot's library will have a showcase of some of the challenged books, and a list of previously challenged books.
Baumann said that, "The college library will be displaying most of the books except for a few from the children's and science fiction genres."
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, and Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger are a few of the books which were recently removed from the list after many years.
For more information on banned books week visit the American Library Association's Web site at www.ala.org.
Regarding what students should get from banned books week, Baumann said, "Your ability to say what you really think comes from having read a lot and thought about a lot of things and having an informed opinion. A way to achieve this is to read a lot of different stuff."
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