Banned Books:
A Pathfinder
For as long as there has been literature, there have been individuals trying to prohibit access to literature. This pathfinder includes information and resources regarding banned or challenged books, as well as the general topic of intellectual freedom. The term "challenged book" refers to a book that has, for whatever reason, been considered by one of more people to be inappropriate, and its removal from library shelves has been requested. A "banned book" on the other hand is a challenged book that has actually been removed from the shelves.
Books are often challenged or banned due to an individual or group of individuals considering the book to be controversial, immoral, inappropriate, sexually explicit, divisive, corrupt, vulgar, violent, or even wicked. Unfortunately, challenged and banned books are often valuable, classic works of literature. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton are just a few of the many books that have been challenged or banned.
As an avid reader and a future librarian, censorship and intellectual freedom are two topics that are extremely important to me. This pathfinder will be of use to librarians working in either public or school libraries, as well as to everyday readers who value their freedom to read. The information listed in my pathfinder can primarily be found in the Upper Hudson Public Library System and includes: reference and non-reference books, periodicals, online sources, and juvenile reference books.
The following terms are Library of Congress (LOC) subject headings used in the Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS). Many of these terms are also useful in keyword searching on this topic.
Sometimes it is difficult to find relevant information through the online catalog. So, one may choose to browse the shelves that contain materials on Banned Books instead. The following ranges of call numbers represent the areas where these materials are located.
| Call Number Ranges | Subject Areas |
|---|---|
| 016.098 | Bibliographies of Banned Books |
| 025.2 - 025.213 | Censorship/ Banned Books and Library Operations |
| 098 - 098.13 | Banned or Prohibited Books |
| 363.31 - 379.156 | Censorship |
| 810.9 | Literature on Banned or Prohibited Books |
The location of each resource is indicated as an abbreviation in parentheses, following the citation. These location abbreviations are as follows:
| APLD | Albany Public Library Delaware Branch |
| APLM | Albany Public Library Main Branch |
| COLN | William K. Sanford Town Library (Colonie) |
| GUIL | Guilderland Public Library |
| TROY | Troy Public Library |
| VOOR | Voorheesville Public LIbrary |
Other abbreviations appearing in this Pathfinder:
| J | Juvenile |
| J REF or RJ | Juvenile Reference |
| REF | Reference |
| UHLS | Upper Hudson Library System |
| YA | Young Adult |
 | Joan Delfattore offers a behind-the-scenes view of the ways in which special-interest groups influence the content of textbooks used in public and private schools throughout the country (Books in Print). Geller, Evelyn. Forbidden Books in American Public Libraries, 1876-1939: a study in cultural change. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984. ISBN 0313238081 (APLM - W 025.2 G) |
Karolides, Nicholas J. 100 Banned Books: Censorship histories of world literature. New York: Checkmark Books, 1999. ISBN 0816040591 (VOOR - REF 363.31 KAR)
Throughout history, writers have had their works of literature censored in the United States as well as around the world. Karolides profiles 25 well-known, often classic, works that have had especially significant censorship histories (Amazon.com).
Karolides, N.J. Censored books II: critical viewpoints, 1985-2000. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, PA: 2002. ISBN 0810841479 (COLN - R 810.9 CEN)
A set of new rationales to be used to defend challenged books. In this text,
authors, librarians and teachers discuss 65 such books, including works of
fiction and non-fiction, for children, adolescents and adults. Each essay
discusses why the book should be read; to whom it should be recommended; the
essayist's impressions and interpretations of the text and concepts,
emotions the reader might experience; and reasons why the book has been
challenged. (Books In Print).
Noble, William. Bookbanning in America: Who bans books? - And Why?.
Independent Publishers Group, Chicago: 1990. ISBN 083971081 (APLM - 098.109 N 21.95)
Timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, the publication of this title strikes a warning note to book lovers across the nation: censorship flourished in 1990 as it has since the 1650 Boston book burnings. The publication dates in this bibliography span the years from 1892-1989 (Books in Print).
Censorship. Eds. Lawrence Amey, R. Kent Rasmussen. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 1997. ISBN 0893564443 (GUIL - REF 363.31 CEN)
Three volumes contain 997 alphabetically arranged essays
on individuals, general issues, books, films and other works,
organizations and government bodies, laws, events, places, and
court cases, with consideration to matters such as gang-related
graffiti, school prayer, and dress codes, public speaking, the news
media, literature, music, and the arts (Books in Print).
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Green, Jonathon. The Encyclopedia of Censorship. New York: Facts on File, 1990. ISBN 0816015945 (GUIL REF 098.13 GRE) Hurwitz, Leon. Historical Dictionary of Censorship in the United States. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985. ISBN 0313238782 (BETH - REF 344.73 HUR) |
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Intellectual Freedom Manual. Compiled by the Office of Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association. 6th ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002. ISBN 0838935192 (VOOR - REF 025.213 INT) Foerstel, Herebert N. Banned in the USA: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. rev. ed. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT: 2002. ISBN 0313311668 (VOOR - REF 025.213 FOE) New York Library Association, Intellectual Freedom Committee. The New York Guide to Intellectual Freedom in Libraries: a manual for librarians, staff and trustees. Albany, NY: The Association, 1995. ISBN 0931658233 (GUIL - REF 025.2 NEW) |
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 | Karolides, Nicholas J. Banned Books: literature suppressed on political grounds. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0816033048 (GUIL - REF 016.098 KAR) Sova, Dawn. Banned Books: literature suppressed on sexual grounds. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0816033056 (GUIL - REF 016.198 SOV) |
Sova, Dawn. Banned Books: literature suppressed on social grounds. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 081603303X (GUIL - REF 016.098 SOV)
Some 100 alphabetical entries describe the content and censorship history of fiction and nonfiction works banned because the authors or works did not conform to the social expectations or because they contained socially unacceptable ideas or speech. Several works, despite limited censorship histories, exhibit the lengths to which censors' fears will take them. Other works have extensive histories of censorship. Part of a four-volume collection (Books in Print).
Doyle, Robert. Banned Books: 2000 Resource Guide. Chicago: American Library Association, 2000. ISSN 0888-0123 (GUIL REF 098 BAN) Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Chicago: Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association, 1952-. ISSN 0028-9485 (Available at the Dewey Library, at the University at Albany Downtown Campus) |
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American Library Association. Banned Books Week. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1984-1993. ISBN 08880123 (COLN - RJ 323.44 A)
Becker, Beverly C. Hit List for Children 2: frequently challenged books. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002. ISBN 0838908306 (GUIL J REF 098.1 BEC)
Becker gives brief profiles of some three dozen books frequently faced by censorship challenges. Each entry includes an annotation, examples of challenges, citations to reviews, articles about the book, background articles about the book or the author, awards and prizes won by the book, where to look for more information about the author, and sources that have recommended the book (Books in Print).
Lesesne, Teri S. Hit List for Young Adults 2: frequently challenged books. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002. ISBN 0838908357 (GUIL - J REF 098.109 LES)
Written to help librarians defend controversial young adult titles, this work profiles 20 books that have been challenged and banned in public schools. Entries include plot synopses, lists of challenges and outcomes, and lists of published reviews, awards, and Web sites (Books in Print)
McGwire, Scarlett. Censorship: changing attitudes 1900-2000. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0817255745 (APLD - J 363.31 M)
Explains what censorship is and how it has been used in the twentieth century. Also presents arguments both for and against censorship (Amazon.com).
Rogers, Donald, J. Banned!: Book Censorship in the Schools. New York: Messner, 1988. ISBN 0671637088 (COLN - J 025.2ROG/PT)
Interesting retelling of 9 cases of book banning in the nation's schools during the 1970s (Books in Print).
Scales, Pat. Teaching Banned Books: 12 guides for young readers. Chicago: American Library Association, 2001. ISBN 0838908071 (GUIL - J REF 098.107 SCA)
Scales, a middle-school librarian for 28 years, pushes banned books front and center so that instead of hiding these titles, librarians can celebrate them. She has chosen 12 frequently challenged books, and she shows teachers and librarians how to teach them. For each title there is a long synopsis of the book, discussion questions, and activities (Amazon.com).
 | Abstracts all types of documents related to education. Includes journal articles, books, these, curricula, conference papers, and standards and guidelines. Useful search terms include banned books, intellectual freedom, and censorship. Historical Abstracts InfoTRAC (Available at UHLS) |
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Indexes articles and book reviews in library and information science periodicals, as well as selected monographs and conference proceedings. This is a great database for finding books and articles on banned books, as well as book reviews of works on this subject. Useful search terms include: prohibited books, banned books, intellectual freedom, and censorship. The Print version covers from 1900 onwards, with remote access available through the UA Library. Indexes 174 U.S. periodicals of general interest. Useful search terms include: banned books week and censorship. WorldCat |
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ALA's Banned Books Week
This section of the ALA website is devoted to providing information regarding
censorship and banned or challenged books. It includes: information on the first
amendment, an intellectual freedom toolkit, a list of the top 100 most frequently
challenged books, quotes regarding book banning and censorship, the ALA Bill of Rights,
and much more. The cite is easy to navigate, and is a fantastic place to find vast
amounts of information.
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Beacon For Freedom Beacon for Freedom of Expression is an international database on censorship of books and newspapers, and literature on freedom of expression, produced by the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression. The site includes: recent news on censorship, data on current and historic censorship (from selected historical periods and countries on all continents), world wide reports and books, as well as publications out of print, with links to the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). The File Room The File Room serves as an evolving archive of how the suppression of information has been orchestrated throughout history in different contexts, countries and civilizations. The website includes: definitions of censorship; archives of cases divided by date, location, grounds, and medium; a place to submit cases; bibliography; resources; and a collection of essays on censorship. |
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Banned Books Online Includes an extensive list of banned or censored books, providing a brief explanation of why each work was or is considered controversial. Each title listed is an active link to a chapter or chapters of the actual work, with some works presented in their entirety. Also gives additional information regarding censorship, with links to related cites. Censored This site comprise an extensive, organized, and in most cases annotated directory of Internet and print resources on various aspects of censorship and free expression. It contains links and information regarding censorship in general, as well as book banning and censorship in other media formats. Unfortunately some of the links are no longer active, but it is still a good source of information. A Brief History of Comic Book Censorship This page is merely a section of the Weekly Wire online, which is no longer publishing. Although the rest of the site is out-of-date, this page gives an interesting synopsis of the history of comic book censorship from the 1950s to the 1990s. |
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National Coalition Against Censorship This page is an advocacy webpage that focuses on censorship in all types of media, including art, television, radio, textbooks, etc. The cite contains censorship news, actions alerts, publications, timelines and case studies.Free Expression Network The Free Expression Network (FEN) is an alliance of organizations dedicated to protecting the First Amendment right of free expression and the values it represents, and to opposing governmental efforts to suppress constitutionally protected speech. Their site contains headlines from "around the web," as well as archived news stories. The site includes information on censorship, free speech, current court cases, internet issues, school-related issues, and recent legislation. |
Boyer, P. Purity in print: book censorship in America from the
gilded age to the computer age. 2nd ed. University of Wisconsin Press,
Madison: 2002. ISBN 0299175847
This is a literary, social & ethical history of book censorship in the US,
chronicling censorship from the 19th century through to the present, with topics
that include the continuing attacks on the First Amendment, the actions of the
religious right, developments generated by feminism in attitudes towards obscenity, and the new issues generated by the Internet (Books in Print).
Harer, John B. and Jeanne Harrell. People For and Against Restricted or Unrestricted Expression. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT: 2002. ISBN 0-313-31758-5
Readers will be introduced to all kinds of people, from feminists arguing different points of view concerning pornography, to those who feel they are following their religious calling in censoring what they consider to be harmful material, to those who believe no one can clearly define what is harmful and what is not. Fifty individual stories written about those who are on the frontlines, including YA author Judy Blume, fighting for what they believe, bring the controversies surrounding filtering and freedom of expression into sharp focus (Amazon.com).
Jackson, Holbrook. The Fear of Books. University of Illinois Press, Champaign: 2002. ISBN 0252070402
The Fear of Books examines the violence, destruction and suppression that have hounded books throughout their history and the fears that lead to such treachery (Books in Print).
Knuth, Ruth. Libricide: The Regime-Sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the Twentieth Century. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., Westport, CT: 2003. ISBN 0-275-98088-X
Knuth examines ideologically driven and systemic destruction of books and libraries that paralleled acts of genocide in the 20th century (Books in Print).
Jones, Derek. Censorship: A World Encyclopedia. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Inc., Chicago: 2002.
This encyclopedia presents a comprehensive view of censorship, from Ancient Egypt to those modern societies that claim to have abolished the practice. There is an entry for virtually every country in the world containing all relevant details (Books in Print).