“A record 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023, a 65% increase over the 2,571 unique titles targeted in 2022 and a staggering 128% increase over 2021 numbers,” according to uniteagainstbookbans.com. Censorship of books has been an evolving topic of discussion throughout the nations, with opinions arguing for both the benefits and consequences of book banning. Banned Books Week has been held annually since 1982 and has the central goal of drawing attention to the harms that come with censorship, as the Banned Books Week website states.
Banned Books Week took place from October 5 – October 12 this year, and many organizations within the Parkland School District participated in this nationwide movement. The officers of Parkland’s National Organization for Women club and Amnesty International club teamed up to create a banned books week poster for the Parkland Community Library. The officers, including Student Representative for the Parkland Community Library Siyona Pathak (11), “Censorship is so 1984 — Read for Your Rights”, created a poster featuring descriptions of frequently banned books and images to go along with them that were created by NOW and Amnesty International members. In addition, they drew a tree in the middle to symbolize education, and they wrote, “Books are the root of education,” to emphasize their viewpoint.
There is a wide variety of opinions on this subject, and Banned Books Week gives people, including students, an opportunity to take action in their community and share their beliefs with those around them in a safe environment. “As students, we don’t usually get to voice our opinions about what our education and curriculum contain. During Banned Books Week, it was fun and exciting to see what everyone thought of the books they’ve read in school and how they’re important to their education,” says Wema Ali (11), a NOW club officer.
Overall, Banned Books Week has influenced the spread of information on this topic throughout the country, but also within the Parkland community.
