Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries

Since the first edition was published to acclaim and awards in 1994, librarians have relied on the work of noted intellectual freedom authority Herbert N. Foerstel. This expanded edition presents a thorough analysis of the current state of book banning in schools and public libraries, offering ready reference material on major incidents, legal cases, and annotated entries on the most frequently challenged books. Every section of this work has been significantly rewritten, updated, or expanded to reflect those developments. In-depth accounts of three new landmark book banning incidents are featured, along with a discussion of recent Supreme Court decisions involving censorship on the Internet and in book publishing, and a consideration of their implications for book banning in schools and public libraries. Two new interviews with authors of banned books—David Guterson and Leslea Newman—join the interviews with authors profiled in the first edition, many of which have been updated. The heart of the book is a Survey of Banned Books, revised with annotated entries on the 50 most frequently challenged books for 1996 through 2000; the Harry Potter series tops the list. Finally, all new appendixes feature an updated ALA list of Most Frequently Challenged Books and Authors Through 2000 and graphs that help to clarify key information.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction A Survey of Major Bookbanning Incidents The Law on Bookbanning Voices of Banned Authors The Most Frequently Banned Books, 1996-2000 Appendix A: Office for Intellectual Freedom's 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 Appendix B: Office for Intellectual Freedom's Frequently Challenged Books and Authors of 2000 Appendix C: Office for Intellectual Freedom's Most Frequently Challenged Books and Authors of 1999 Appendix D: Office for Intellectual Freedom's Most Frequently Challenged Books and Authors of 1998 Selected Bibliography Index

About the Author :
HERBERT N. FOERSTEL is the former Head of Branch Libraries at the University of Maryland, College Park. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Security Archives. He is a noted authority on intellectual freedom and has published seven previous books on the topic for Greenwood Publishing, including Banned in the Media (1998) and From Watergate to Monicagate: Ten Controversies in Modern Journalism and Media (2001).

Review :
This revised and expanded edition of Foerstel's book, whose first edition drew favorable reviews in 1994, deserves equal attention….Foerstel, a noted authority on intellectual freedom, supplies informative appendixes and an index that make this book a valuable resource for all libraries. …Foerstel gives an enlightening analysis of censorship in U.S. schools and public libraries….Recommended. Simply put, ^IBanned in The U.S.A^R is a straightforward and fact-filled resource which should be found on the shelf of every academic and public llibrary in the country. Provides a survey of major book-banning incidents, legal cases surrounding censorship, interviews with the most censored authors, and an annotated list and discussion of the 50 most frequently challenged books for 1996 through 2000. This is a book that librarians may want on their personal, as well as library shelves….^IBanned in the USA^R offers a cautionary tale. The individuals and groups that challenge these books are not to be laughed at. They are earnest and commited, and are often adept at proceeding 'under formal, bureaucratic cover.' Make no mistake the people who challenge books have an impact. Reading through Foerstel's book makes this obvious. Whether in reference or circulation, ^IBanned in the USA^R is a book that most librarians should own. This indispensable resource belongs in every library's professional collection. ^BExceptional^R. A valuable reference tool for librarians who are dealing with censorship….Librarians and teachers need this book, but patrons who want to better understand the threats to their First Amendment rights should be led to it as well. With a breezy, light style, this reference tool begs to be read from cover-to-cover as well. It is a needed purchase even for those who own the previous edition.