Banned Books Week is October 4 – 10, 2026. And you might well be wondering about the specifics of it; it is about Banned Books, but what is the history behind it?
So here from the American Library Association’s Banned Books site is a good explanation:
“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. Held in the last week of September or first week of October, the annual 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.”
To learn more, check out either of the links below, which will take you to one of two American Library Associate sites, to learn more:
And celebrate your right to read this week by reading any book you find interesting!
And if you haven’t been there in a while, visit your local public library as today’s libraries offer more than just print books and are definitely worth checking out!
And if visiting the library is challenging with your busy schedule, just know that if you don’t already have a library card, you can obtain a digital one to use in checking out digital content – the only criteria is you have to live in the area that encompasses the Southern Tier Library System, that is one of the following N.Y. counties: Steuben, Chemung, Yates or Schuyler, to get a digital card; and with that card you can stream videos from Kanopy or Hoopla and check eBooks and digital audiobooks from Libby.
Here is the link to the STLS site where you can obtain a digital library card
https://stls.libguides.com/digitalresources/DigitalLibraryCard
Note: If you already have a library card – you don’t need the digital card – you can access all digital content with the card you already have!
