I’m Supporting Banned Books Week at My Local Library… are you?

I’m going to be in "jail" reading from one of the challenged books in the living display at the East Branch of the Dayton Metro Library.

If you’re unfamiliar with Banned Books Week, it is:

…the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2014 celebration will be held September 21-27.
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982 according to the American Library Association. There were 307 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2013, and many more go unreported.

The most challenged title of 2013?  The Captain Underpants Series.  No joke.

You can find out what events are going on in your area at the Banned Books Week website, or if you’re in the Dayton area, you can stop by the read-out at the East Branch of the Dayton Metro Library [map] (I’ll be there at 11am on Tuesday the 23rd.)