What you can do to Fight Censorship
From the ALA site
Stay informed. If you read or hear about a challenge at your school or public library, support your librarian and free and open access to library materials. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates they learn of only 20 to 25 percent of book challenges. Let us know if there is a challenge in your community. Find out what the policy is for reviewing challenged materials at your school or public library. Join the Intellectual Freedom Action News (IFACTION) e-list.
Get involved. Go to school board meetings. Volunteer to help your local school or public library create an event that discusses the freedom to read and helps educate about censorship—maybe a film festival, a readout, a panel discussion, an author reading or a poster contest for children illustrating the concept of free speech.
Speak out. Write letters to the editor, your public library director and your local school principal supporting the freedom to read. Talk to your neighbors and friends about why everyone should be allowed to choose for themselves and their families what they read. Encourage your governor, city council and/or mayor to proclaim “Banned Books Week - Celebrating the Freedom to Read” in your state or community.
Exercise your rights! Check out or re-read a favorite banned book. Encourage your book group to read and discuss one of the books. Give one of your favorite books as a gift. The 100 most challenged books of the 1990s is a good resource!
Join the Freedom to Read Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to the legal and financial defense of intellectual freedom, especially in libraries. You can also support the cause by buying Banned Books Week posters, buttons and T-shirts online.
And check out the Thursday Thirteen at the Book Stacks where Elisa lists 13 banned books she has read.
banned book week, celebrate your freedom to read, censorship, fight censorship
October 4th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
[...] The Freedom of Speech by Jessica I recently came across a post concerning literary censorship and how to fight it. The major factor that keeps a book banned is the unwillingness of people to speak out and take action. I have to say in respect to the comic book community, we have did an excellent job of fighting court decisions to ban what some may label as offensive or obscene in pursuit of artistic freedom. We have mostly the Comic Legal Defense Fund to thank for this. The group comprised of fan favorites such as Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, and Frank Miller, along with thousands of fans and also donors have contributed to many successful court cases and injunctions to stop production and also the selling of some comic books. A cautionary word however, when you give out your comics and candy to neighboring children, please keep in mind the age range of your trick-or-treater and be sure to hand out material that is appropriate for all ages. There is actually an ongoing trial in that matter, and the Comic Book Legal Defense fund is doing everything possible to ensure there is justice. Let’s pause for a moment and imagine what the industry would be like if “Seduction of the Innocent” had not been written and book burnings were not held. EC would probably still be around, booming in business. Comic books would still be held as popular family entertainment, and there would be far less jokes cracked at the speculation of Batman and Robin’s sexual preferences. So what’s the point? The point is, sometimes when a book is banned or censored everyone is assuming someone else will speak out. If we all assume someone else will voice our collective opinion or protest, then inevitably no one will speak out. Become active, get involved, and support the CBLDF. For more information about the Comic Book Legal Defense fund go to : http://www.cbldf.org. If you’d like more information about banned books in libraries and schools please link to the books and literature blog on 451 Press. There is a wealth of information. It can be found here: http://www.tinytreasury.com/what-you-can-do-to-fight-censorship/ [...]