Banned Books Week is an annual event that will be observed this year from October 5th to 11th. Its purpose is to celebrate the freedom to read. Launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries, it brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, 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 American Library Association and Banned Books Week Coalition announced that this year's theme is “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.” Banned Books Week will take place October 5 – 11, 2025.
