College of DuPage Library

Think the days of people trying to limit what you can read are over?

Think again. Each year, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom puts together a list of the 10 most challenged books in this country. A challenge is defined as a request that a library remove a book from its shelves. In 2014 alone, the Office of Intellectual Freedom reports 311 books were challenged.

Want to know more? Check out the American Library Association's graphics depicting reasons for book challenges, the people most likely to challenge a book, and types of institutions most likely to receive a challenge from 1990-1999 and 2000-2009.

One Challenge Highlighted

FUN HOME (A graphic novel)

In August 2015 many freshman students at Duke University refused to read this book that was selected for the Common Experience reading, stating that this went against their beliefs.
Read a newspaper article on this issue.
One student's viewpoint on this issue can be found here.

Curious to see for yourself? Read the book.

Other Resources:

• The American Library Association lists the most challenged banned books from 2000-to last year.
• The Illinois Library Association Banned Books Week.
• You can also check out the Banned Books Week Youtube channel of people reading banned books.
• Check out challenged books across the country.

Censorship: A World Encyclopedia. Reference Z 657 .C 468 2001

Encyclopedia of Literature and Politics : Censorship, Revolution, and Writing. Reference PN 51 .E 63 2005

List of COD books about Banned Books.