Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Banned Books Week is traditionally held during the last week of September and draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community -- librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types -- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas. 

Censorship Is So 1984 -- Read for Your Rights! With the escalation in attempts to ban books in libraries, schools, and bookstores around the country, George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship. This year’s Banned Books Week theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights. Banned Books Week will take place October 5 – 11, 2025.

For additional information on Banned Books Week visit the American Library Association's Banned & Challenged Books.