Banned Books: Home

"Under Arizona House Bill 2281, [The House on Mango Street] and more than 80 other books were banned in the state's public schools. The law, aimed at Mexican-American Studies, prohibits courses that "promote the overthrow of the government."

Read more:  The Houston Chronicle and National Coalition Against Censorship

Diaz, Tony. "What Are the Book Banners Afraid Of?" Houston Chronicle. N.p., 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials.  Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.  Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

-From the ALA Website on Banned Books

See more definitions at ala.org.

I am grateful to the generosity and intenuity of the University of Texas Arlington's librarians Raffi Mirza and Jody Bailey.  Their Banned Books Week 2012 LibGuide inspired many aspects for our guide.