Banned Books Week 2026
Celebrate free and open access to information by fighting book bans.
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Held in the last week of September or first week of October, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.
The next Banned Books Week will be held October 4–10, 2026. The theme of this year’s event is Let Books Be — Protect the Freedom to Read.
By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles lists of challenged books as reported in the media and submitted by librarians and teachers across the country. We encourage you to celebrate Banned Books Week by visiting your local bookstore or library and asking about books that have been banned. There's a good chance your or your family's favorite books have, at one point, been challenged.
Banned Books Week Information and Resources: