Sunday, September 7, 2008

Banned Books Week 2008


Banned Books week is coming up soon. I think that we should make a concerted effort to talk about book banning, Palin and Library-gate every where we can that week. If you have a blog, post about it. If you have a mailing list send out the word and point to references and posts about the story. If you know a librarian tell them the story and ask them to spread the word.

I know this whole election isn't about the lipstick-pitbull, but she is a huge problem and things like her extremist views on censorship are the reason why.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW's 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met. from the ALA


Join the Banned Books Week group on facebook.

“If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.”- Justice William J. Brennan, Jr

UPDATE: One commentor suggests that we all contact Charlie Gibson and encourage him to ask Gov. Palin what books she wanted to ban in her local library when she was Mayor in 1996. I think that is an excellent idea. Please contact Charlie here.