Every year the American Library Association holds a week-long event celebrating the top ten most challenged books in the United States, which this year takes place Sept. 22-Oct. 1.
Faith Bradham, Bakersfield College reference librarian, set up the display in the BC library on the second floor, adjacent to the reference desk.
“The event is to defend our right to free speech and upholding the first amendment” Bradham said.
The books on the list, compiled by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, have been most challenged for censorship in public and school libraries by parents that feel that they are too graphic for young readers.
“Parents have every right to say what their child can and can’t read,” Bradham said, “but the parents want to ban it from all children from reading it and that’s not right.”
According to the ALA website, some of the reasons given for their banning include, and are not limited to, homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, and nudity.
When asked, Faith Bradham said her favorite from the list was Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
In addition to the books on display in the BC library, the complete list can be found at ALA.org.