Banned Book Week runs Sept. 24 - 30, and Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave., will mark the event by making books on the banned or challenged list available for checkout.
“We’re all about reading and learning here at Branigan Library,” says library administrator Margaret Neill. “We know that not every book is intended for every reader, but we want to make books available whether they’re on a banned list or not. We leave it up to the individual to decide.”
According to the American Library Association (ALA) website, “Since 1990 the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has recorded more than 10,000 book challenges, including 323 in 2016. A challenge is a formal, written complaint requesting a book be removed from library shelves or school curriculum. About half of all challenges are to material in schools or school libraries, and one in four are to material in public libraries.”
“Guests to the library can participate in Banned Book Week by submitting the name of a banned or challenged book they’ve read at our lobby display,” Neill said.
Branigan Library is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturdayand 1-5 p.m. Sunday.