Banned Books Week
Read Freely With Los Angeles Public Library
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For more than 40 years, the annual event has brought together the entire book community—librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, writers, journalists, and readers of all types—in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.
The majority of library censorship remains tied to organized campaigns. Pressure groups and the decision makers they influenced targeted 7,884 total titles in 2025.
ALA.org/bbooks
Nearly 92% of censorship attempts in 2025 were initiated by pressure groups and decision makers swayed by them.
ALA.org/bbooks
824 total books challenged; 513 books censored; 184 book censorship attempts; 92 books banned
ALA.org/bbooks
Read Freely!
The Los Angeles Public Library offers a selection of the most challenged books reported to the American Library Association available to anyone in the United States, ages 13 and up. Sign up to access the titles.
Libby/Overdrive Books
Titles from the annual American Library Association's Top Challenged Books lists are available on Libby.