Censorship Search Portal (original) (raw)

The freedom to read is the freedom to learn. It is the freedom to view the world from other perspectives and to formulate understanding, opinions, and ideas of your own. It is the freedom to analyze and to question, to think critically and to make connections. It is the freedom to dream and to imagine. It is yours to exercise as you see fit.

Libraries ensure everyone in the country has the freedom to read. They are the part of our government that makes information and education accessible to all. Libraries and individuals' freedom to read have come under attack from those seeking to suppress access to ideas and viewpoints they disagree with. Whenever access to a library book is restricted based on someone's beliefs about its content, that is censorship and an abridgement of an entire community's freedom and rights.

The goal of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom is to educate library workers and the general public about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries. As part of their work, OIF maintains a database of attempts to censor books and services from public schools, libraries, and universities in the United States. This data is compiled from confidential reports made to OIF, media accounts, and public records. Our database is incomplete, as most censorship goes unreported.

This portal allows you to search OIF's database for titles and authors to learn if there have been efforts to censor them in libraries.

We urge you to Unite Against Book Bans in your community and to consider donating to support our work defending your freedom to read!