Banned Books Week VocabularyLanguage Arts

access

• Noun

• The right to make use of or take advantage of something.

• Example: Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information.

ban

• Verb

• To forbid the public distribution of something.

• Example: Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.

censorship

• Noun

• The act of deleting parts of publications or theatrical performances.

• Banned Books Week draws attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bans of books across the United States.

challenge

• Noun

• An objection or question about something’s validity.

• Example: Individuals challenge books they object to by questioning their right to be on library shelves.

restrict

• Verb

• To limit access to something.

• Example: Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned.