The Freedom to Read is Under Attack

I enjoyed reading Freedom to Read Under Fire as Attempts to Ban Books Continue by Courtney L. Young, the ALA President-Elect.

Ms. Young writes in her article the following:

What would you do if you went to the library to check out a book, only to find it wasn't there? Not because it was already checked out, but because someone else disapproved of its content and had it removed from library shelves? 

Not likely to happen? Think again.

Despite the perception that censorship no longer occurs in the United States, attempts to ban books frequently take place in our schools and libraries. A challenge is a formal, written complaint requesting a book be removed from library shelves or banned from the school curriculum. 

According to the American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), there were 464 reported attempts to remove or restrict materials from schools and libraries in 2012 and more than 17,700 attempts since 1990, when the ALA began to record book challenges. 

The statistics on the attempts made 'to remove or restrict materials from schools and libraries' is simply mind blowing! I can't quite wrap my brain around the fact that so many people want books banned or removed from schools and libraries. 

I fully agree with Courtney L. Young's statement that "Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves." I want the freedom to chose what I want to read and not be denied the right to read material that someone else says I shouldn't read.