"A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone." - Jo Godwin

When is censorship necessary? Should a book ever be banned? Should there be a limit to free speech or freedom of expression? Censorship & Intellectual Freedom are hot topics, with strong opinions all around. Check out these sample resources to help you get a better handle on what you think about our freedom to express ourselves.

WEBSITES - NON-FICTION - FICTION

WEBSITES

The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000
www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/
100mostfrequently.htm
A list of the 100 most frequently challenged books between 1990 and 2000.

American Library Association: Banned Books Week
www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm
Information and resources about this annual event, as well as about banned & censored literature and intellectual freedom issues.

Censorship
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship
A Wikipedia entry on censorship. Includes basic information, links to censorship in other countries, examples of censorship of different media & links.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
www.cbldf.org/
Dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. Includes news & case files related to the censorship of comics.

Culture Shock: Are the Arts Dangerous?
www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/
A companion site to the PBS show. Includes information & opinion about freedom of expression.

First Amendment Center
www.firstamendmentcenter.org
News, information & opinion about First Amendment issues.

Forbidden Library
www.forbiddenlibrary.com/
Features an incomplete list of book titles/authors that have been censored and/or banned, with sample reasons for the challenge.

Freemuse
www.freemuse.org
An international organization "advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide."

Index for Free Expression
www.indexonline.org/
A journal that bills itself as "one of the world's leading repositories of the most original, challenging, controversial and intelligent writing on free expression issues." Online site includes some news & articles.

Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America
http://ericnuzum.com/banned/
A selective on-line chronicle of popular music that has been censored, banned, suppressed, or altered against the wishes of its creators and intended audience. Note: This site updated very infrequently.

Project Censored
www.projectcensored.org
Highlights the most underreported/self-censored news stories for each year.

Student Press Law Center
www.splc.org/
An advocate for student free-press rights. Provides information, advice & legal assistance to students & the educators who work with them.

Youth Free Expression Network
http://www.ncac.org/YFEN/index.cfm
A national coalition of teens and adults committed to defending the free expression rights of youth.

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NON-FICTION

Censorship
Kate Burns, ed. (363.31 CEN)
How far should freedom of speech extend? Experts debate the necessity of censorship in a free society.

100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories in World Literature
Nicholas Karolides (363.31 KAR)
Profiles 25 well-known works of world literature that have been censored for religious, political, social or sexual reasons.

Censorship: Opposing Viewpoints Andrea C. Nakaya, ed. (363.31 NAK 2005)
Explores a variety of viewpoints related to censorship & intellectual freedom.

Operation Hollywood: How the Pentagon Shapes & Censors the Movies
David L. Robb (363.31 ROB)
Explores the connection between Hollywood acquiring military equipment for cheap and what ends up playing out on the big screen.

Forbidden Films: Censorship Histories of 125 Motion Pictures
Dawn B. Sova (791.43 SOV)
Profiles selected movies that have been censored for a variety of reasons.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
Azar Nafisi (955.0543 NAF)
A bold Iranian teacher gathers her students to read forbidden Western literature.

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REFERENCE

Hit List: Frequently Challenged Books for Young Adults
(HC REF 016.808 HIT)
Designed for librarians & teachers, this book is still interesting for browsing teen titles that have been challenged in the past.

Hit List for Young Adults 2: Frequently Challenged Books
(HC REF 098.1097 LES)
More teen titles that have been challenged in schools and libraries.

Censorship: A World Encyclopedia
(REF 363.31 CEN 2001)
A comprehensive view of censorship all over the world, from Ancient Egypt to the 20th century.

Note: There are many Reference books available on issues of censorship & intellectual freedom. These are only a couple of examples.

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FICTION

Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury (YA BRADBURY)
A totalitarian regime has ordered all the books to be destroyed, but one of the book burners suddenly realizes their merit.

Sledding Hill
by Chris Crutcher (YA CRUTCHER)
Billy's dead. His friend Eddie's alive. And Billy's not about to let a little thing like death stop himr from helping Eddie in his epic struggle to get his life back on track.

Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Sijie Dai (FIC DAI)
Two friends are sent to a "reeducation camp," where they discover forbidden literature.

The Year They Burned the Books
by Nancy Garden (YA GARDEN)
Jamie has lots of questions: Will the school shut down the paper she edits? Will the new school board member ban books & outlaw talk about condoms & homosexuality? Is Jamie herself gay?

Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers
Judy Blume , ed. (YA PLACES)
A collection of short stories accompanied by short essays on censorship by 12 authors whose works have been challenged in the past.

The Last Safe Place on Earth
by Richard Peck (YA PECK)
"I must have known there is no safe place." Todd's new community seems ideal, until hidden prejudices begin affect the community, and Todd's family.

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