Banned Books Week 2025: Censorship is so 1984!

October 5th marked the start of Banned Books Week, an annual event launched in 1982 to bring awareness to efforts to ban or challenge books in libraries, schools, and bookstores. This year’s theme, Censorship is so 1984, speaks to the continued encroachment of outside voices attempting to control what people can and cannot read. When choosing the theme, the American Library Association noted, “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 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.”

Bans and challenges are tracked every year by advocacy groups such as PEN America and ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom culminating in the publishing of lists of the most banned titles, titles that often contain themes dealing with racial, sexual, or gender identity. While these lists are important, it is perhaps more instructive to look at who is initiating these challenges. In 2023, challenges were often led by patrons and parents (52%) with minimal input from administration or elected officials (15%). In 2024, that trend has completely reversed with challenges being initiated by administration and elected officials at a much higher rate (46%) than patrons and parents (20%).

As an academic library, we may not face these same challenges, but it is our professional obligation to bring awareness to the fight libraries across the country face daily. Stop by the library lobby to check out our pop-up display, browse our virtual collection of frequently challenged books, grab a button or bookmark, and let people know you support everybody's freedom to read!