Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. It highlights the benefits of free and open access to information, while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States. Here are sample display ideas you can use at your library September 24th through October 1st:

• Display a small collection of “dangerous” books in a prominent location under a sign that provocatively exclaims, “Don’t Read These Books.” Sample titles include Gone with the Wind and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; you can find more banned classics here.
• Wrap “banned books” in brown paper, print the title and reason for the banning on individual cards, and tape a card to each book
• Wrap a display of books in yellow CAUTION tape
• Start a Banned Books Reading Club, and get ideas for it from the Banned Book Literary Club

Here are resources to help promote the freedom to read at your library:

• book display ideas
• clip art – print a poster, use the small badge as your Facebook profile picture for a week, and more
• activity ideas
• PSA (public service announcement) scripts
• letter to the editor template