‘Defend the freedom to read -- It’s everybody’s job’

The American Library Association is promoting the importance of reporting challenges with artwork available for download in a variety of formats: “Defend the freedom to read -- It’s everybody’s job.”

“Since 1990, the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom has maintained a confidential database on challenged materials. ALA collects information from two sources: newspapers and reports submitted by individuals. All challenges are compiled into a database. Reports of challenges culled from newspapers across the country are compiled in the bimonthly Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom; those reports are then compiled in the Banned Books Week Resource Guide. Challenges reported to the ALA by individuals are kept confidential. In these cases, ALA will release only the title of the book being challenged, the state and the type of institution (school, public library). The name of the institution and its town will not be disclosed. A list of most frequently challenge books is compiled from these challenges for each annual Banned Books Week.”

To report a challenge, the ALA provides an online Challenge Database Form. People can also print the Challenge Database Form, complete it, and fax it to  the Office for Intellectual Freedom, at  312-280-4227.

For assistance with actual and possible challenges to library materials, services, and programs, the ALA invites libraries to contact Angela Maycock, OIF assistant director, by telephone at 800-545-2433, ext. 4221; fax at 312-280-4227, by email at amaycock@ala.org, or at the Office for Intellectual Freedom, 800-545-2433, ext. 4223.