This year Fulton County is celebrating the Year of the Book by encouraging patrons to engage in the joy of reading via a wide variety of programming throughout the year! This month the Digital Library celebrates the Freedom to Read and 250th Anniversary of America.
A great way to embrace the theme for this month (and throughout the year) is by checking out a banned or challenged book. Throughout history, titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird, And Tango Makes Three, and The Bluest Eye have been questioned or restricted because of their ideas, themes, or the perspectives they represent. Yet many of these titles have gone on to become beloved classics or important cultural touchstones.
You can explore a wide range of banned and challenged books with Hoopla or Overdrive/Libby. There's no wait on Hoopla for titles such as 1984 and All Boys Aren't Blue.
Explore even more banned/challenged books from our newest platform called the Palace Project! Checkout some banned YA titles such as The Hate U Give, Flamer, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by downloading the Palace app.
If you are looking for more banned/challenged book titles, check out the American Library Association's archive of Top 10 most challenged books dating back to 1999 and Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books by Decade.
Reading a challenged book can be a powerful and meaningful act, but it also important to learn about the history of behind censorship and intellectual freedom in the United States.
This January, we also encourage you to dig deeper into the history of intellectual freedom and censorship in the United States. You can learn more about our nation's history with Infobase- American History! With Infobase -American History, you can search for Landmark Supreme Court cases related to speech and publishing or primary sources about censorship.
If you are interested in delving deeper into research about intellectual freedom and censorship, try Infobase-Issues & Controversies. Infobase-Issues & Controversies presents today's crucial issues in a balanced, pro/con format and each article presents the key facts, arguments, history, and current context.
No matter how you choose to celebrate this month, whether it's by reading a banned/challenged book or becoming more informed about the history of censorship, be sure to enjoy and come back for next month's theme!
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