Banned Books Week
This week is Banned Books Week, a nationwide celebration of the right to read. Visit the library this week to check out a book that has been banned in the past, or even somewhere in the world today, and get your picture taken with your favorite banned book! And the end of the week, we will be holding a movie night featuring a movie based on a banned book, voted on by library patrons. Options are “Forrest Gump,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Bridge to Terabithia,” or “Wicked.”
At the Columbia County Rural Library District, we believe in the importance of intellectual freedom, a principle protected by the United States Constitution. That means making sure our shelves hold stories and information from many different voices and perspectives—so that each reader can make their own choices.
The Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) says it best: “ARSL stands in firm support of the freedom to read and free speech as inalienable rights protected by the First Amendment. We are committed to defending those rights for all individuals and recommend library policies that support the selection of library materials that represent a broad range of topics and ideas.”
History reminds us that many books now considered classics were once banned or challenged. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, 1984 by George Orwell, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and even Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White have faced attempts to remove them from libraries and schools.
By shining a spotlight on these stories, Banned Books Week reminds us why access matters. It’s not about agreeing with every book—it’s about protecting the right of all readers to discover, question, and learn. When we celebrate Banned Books Week, we celebrate the freedom to read.
