Banned Books Week starts Monday, ALA says 2,425 challenged last year, mostly by pressure groups

Banned Books Week starts Monday, ALA says 2,425 challenged last year, mostly by pressure groups

Banning books isn’t what it used to be.

National Banned Books Week 2025

Banned Books Week is an annual observance (October 5-11, 2025) that spotlights the freedom to read, pushes back against censorship and celebrates open access to information. The American Library Association (ALA) and its Office for Intellectual Freedom compile annual reports on book challenges and censorship attempts nationwide. Many challenges go unreported, so their data offers only a partial picture. This year’s theme is:“Censorship Is So 198…