Salem’s Little Free Banned Book Library

Salem’s Little Free Banned Book Library shares books that have been challenged or banned across the United States. As a community, Salem supports the right of all people to freely access ideas, stories, arguments, and information, even those that might be perceived as unpopular or conventional. The goal of the library is to underscore the importance of ensuring open access to a wide range of viewpoints for readers.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are the books in this Library selected?
This library was installed by the Office of the Mayor during Banned Book Week 2023. The Mayor’s Office maintains a collection of books that have been challenged or banned in the United States and will, on occasion, add these titles to the library. You’re invited to take one, for free, and return it (or not!) when you’ve finished reading it. If you wish to add a title to the library, whether it’s a banned or challenged book or not, please feel free to do so, though – to keep with the spirit of the library – we encourage you to consider adding a title that has been challenged or banned. You can find a list of challenged and banned books at the American Library Association’s website here: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks.

2. What is the difference between a book being banned and a book being challenged?
A challenge represents an attempt to restrict or remove materials based on the objections of an individual or group. A ban involves the actual removal of these materials, which goes beyond expressing dissenting views. It leads to the exclusion of these resources from curricula or libraries, limiting accessibility to others. Most challenges are unsuccessful, but on occasion they accomplish their objective, and the title is subsequently banned from the library or school in question.

 3. Why are books challenged and banned?
The American Library Association states that reason given most often for a book being challenged is to shield others, especially children, from challenging ideas and information.

4. What books are being challenged?
In 2022, a staggering 2,570 unique titles were targeted for challenges, although the American Library Association suggests that up to 97% of challenges go unreported. According to Pen America's Banned Book Index, 41% of banned books feature LGBTQ+ themes, 40% include protagonists or secondary characters of color, and 21% address issues related to race or racism.
In 2022, there were 45 attempts to restrict access to books here in Massachusetts, with 57 different titles challenged in these attempts. For a list of books challenged in Massachusetts libraries in 2022, please click here.