Challenged Books and Magazines
List of Challenged Books and Magazines
This selective list provides information on more than 100 books and magazines that have been challenged in the past decades. Each challenge sought to limit public access to the books in schools, libraries, or bookstores. Some challenges were upheld; others were rejected. We have tried to update our research on unresolved challenges.
» Challenged Books and Magazines List (February 2009)
Because some challenges are dismissed, the books remain on library shelves or curriculum lists.
We think it worthwhile to include such instances because the effect of a controversy over print
material can spread, even though the would-be book-banners lose. A book with a controversial
reputation tends to be quietly dropped from reading lists and curricula. This interference can be
most insidious—quiet acquiescence to the kind of scare tactics that would-be censors know how
to employ.
Because organizations and community groups that ask for book and magazine bans generally
want to avoid public controversies, it is often difficult to discover why challenges are launched or
what becomes of them. If you know of book challenges or, better still, satisfactory resolutions
anywhere in Canada, please use the accompanying case study form to give us details.
Results of the Canadian Library Association's Survey of Challenged Publications (2007)
The Canadian Library Association's Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom, in partnership with the Book and Periodical Council's Freedom of Expression Committee, has developed an annual survey to investigate challenges to books, magazines and DVDs in Canadian libraries. The results of the second survey are posted below.
» CLA Survey 2007 Results (PDF)
The Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom posted a one-page Web survey on the CLA's listserv in late 2007 and asked readers to forward the survey to other Canadian library lists (e.g., teacher-librarian lists, provincial library association lists and local library association lists). The Committee hoped to identify the library resources and policies that were challenged in 2007 and to learn the results of these challenges.
By February 15, 2008, the Committee had received data about 43 reported challenges (42 for materials and one for a library policy). Although these results are higher in number than the results of last's year inaugural survey, the Committee assumes that the current results reflect just a small portion of the number of challenges that occurred in Canadian libraries in 2007. Censorship studies usually show that most library challenges go unreported and undocumented.
The CLA and the BPC hope to improve the sophistication of the survey year by year to create a formal challenges registry for national data collection purposes.
The Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom extends special thanks to Amelia Martin, a student in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta, who helped on this project and to Franklin Carter of the BPC who provided advice for our past, present and future survey efforts.
Toni Samek
Convenor, CLA Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom
February 20, 2008
St. Albert, Alberta
Disclaimer
The material in challenged books and magazines does not necessarily reflect the official views of the Book and Periodical Council or its member associations.
