home

= Teaching the Banned Book = Over the past eight years, American libraries were faced with 3,736 challenges.
 * 1,225 challenges due to “sexually explicit” material;
 * 1,008 challenges due to “offensive language”;
 * 720 challenges due to material deemed “unsuited to age group”;
 * 458 challenges due to “violence”
 * 269 challenges due to “homosexuality”

Further,103 materials were challenged because they were “anti-family,” and an additional 233 were challenged because of their “religious viewpoints;” 1,176 of these challenges (**__approximately 31%) were in classrooms__**; __**37% were in school libraries;**__ 24% (or 909) took place in public libraries. There were less than 75 challenges to college classes; and only 36 to academic libraries. There are isolated cases of challenges to materials made available in or by prisons, special libraries, community groups, and student groups. The majority of challenges were initiated by parents (almost exactly 51%), while patrons and administrators followed behind (10% and 8% respectively). [-//American Library Association//, 2008.]

For K-12 educators, it is important to realize that during the first eight years of the 21st century, 68% of all book challenges took place in the K-12 school system. How, then, do educators deal with book challenges and how do they respond to individuals who want to remove books from reading lists or library shelves? What procedures are necessary to be prepared for a book challenge and how can educators uphold all students' right to read and / or access materials that some individuals want to censor? Here are some resources to examine, to review, and to reflect upon when it comes to //**Teaching the Banned Book.**//