Celebrate Banned Books Week at Richland Library

Each year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to remove books from library shelves and classrooms.

In the past, groups have targeted classics including “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Great Gatsby,” as well as beloved children’s books like “Where the Wild Things Are.”

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read these titles while calling attention to the harms of censorship. Banned Books Week is Sept. 27-Oct. 3 this year.

There will be book displays in the children, teen and adult areas throughout Richland’s 11 locations, and Richland Library Southeast will have bookmarks tucked inside several banned books that readers can keep as commemorative souvenirs.

Richland Library Main will have daily “Battle of the Banned” trivia for teens from 4-4:30 p.m. in the Teen Center at 1431 Assembly St. in downtown Columbia. All teens are invited to test their knowledge of banned books.

The library also is encouraging people to take videos of themselves reading an excerpt from a banned or challenged book and post them online with the hashtag #readfreely.

For suggestions, check out the American Library Association’s list of frequently banned books.

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 2:57 PM.