Banned Books Week Press Kit

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
Banned Books Week, October 4-10, 2026. Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read. ALA.org/BBooks. American Library Association

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracks attempts to ban or restrict access to books across the United States and to inform the public about censorship efforts in our libraries and schools. 

In 2025, OIF tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second highest ever documented by ALA. The highest ever documented was 4,240 in 2023. 92 percent of all book challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials and decision makers, up from 72 percent in 2024. Less than 3 percent of challenges originated from individual parents.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials.

Banned Books Week (October 4-10, 2026) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. 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.

Press Releases

April 30: Banned Books Week 2026 Artwork Unveiled

April 20: American Library Association releases 2025 Most Challenged Books List as National Library Week Begins


 

 

Resources

Media Contacts:

Media interested in scheduling interviews with ALA spokespersons may contact the ALA's Communications & Media Relations Office, cmomedia@ala.org.

Yearly Field Reports for Most Frequently Challenged Books

Each year, ALA releases an annual report that examines attempts to curtail the freedom to read, offering more information about censorship attacks on the Top 10 Most Challenged Books, as well as details on additional frequently challenged titles. 

The current report will be made available on this page at a future date. Press can request an embargoed copy for reporting purposes by emailing oif@ala.org.