Find your freedom to read during Banned Books Week (September 27 – October 3, 2020) by reading from a banned book, discussing the harms of censorship, or highlighting the value of free and open access to information.
Since the inception of Banned Books Week in 1982, libraries and bookstores throughout the country have staged local read-outs of banned and challenged books. Hundreds of thoughtful and creative videos have been shared on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel to proclaim the importance of the freedom to read. (Some are even from banned authors and celebrities!)
We invite readers to get involved by submitting their own “Stand for the Banned” videos that we can share.
Guidelines and Ideas
- Videos should be shorter than three minutes.
- The ALA lists of Frequently Challenged Books will provide some inspiration on which books to read from or talk about.
- Include the phrase "Stand for the Banned" when titling and tagging your video. For example:
- "Stand for the Banned: A Reading from Prince and Knight"
- "Stand for the Banned: Why I Read The Handmaid's Tale"
- "Stand for the Banned: Forest Park Public Library Celebrates Banned Books Week"
- If you’re submitting multiple videos, please create a playlist and submit one URL using the form.
- Here are a few questions you can answer in your short video:
- What would you say to your favorite banned author?
- How has a banned book impacted your life?
- Have you ever been censored?