As I was unbreaking the blog and uploading content from as far, far away as 2006, I came across a post about Banned Book Week.

It reminded me that the American Library Association has just celebrated another BBW, to remind us all of the importance of intellectual freedom even if we sometimes find the content unsavoury.  It’s ironic (in an Alanis sort of way) that we live in an age and culture that is more open and has more access to media and each other’s thoughts than ever before, and yet books are still frequently challenged or banned due to their content including homosexuality or anti-family sentiments, among other ‘issues’.

I’m planning on going through the list from the past few years and checking if my library stocks them, and putting in a request if they do not.    Some probably aren’t to my taste and aren’t the kinds of books I generally read, but considering books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Color Purple were on the challenge list in the past, I think it’s important to send a message that people should have the right to vote for or against a book with their wallets or library card, and not have that decision taken from them.