The Lacey Library invites you to join us this winter on a fun and informative reading adventure! Play Banned Books Bingo with us, January 2 – March 31, 2024, to get better acquainted with banned titles, and make up your mind about their content.
Why Banned Books Bingo?
Book bans and challenges are on the rise. The “ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, opens a new window, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago.” Read more here., opens a new window
At the library, we support the idea that we cannot know which stories will be meaningful to someone else. And we believe that controversial books can help people understand and accept difficult aspects of themselves and our world. We support the rights of individuals to decide for themselves what to read and what not to read. The library is here for you!
How to play
Bingo sheets are available here to download as a PDF: Banned Books Bingo sheet, or at the Lacey Library. Complete any horizontal, vertical or diagonal line to be entered into the prize drawing. Fill out the Prize Drawing Entry form and turn your sheet at the library. Turn in a new sheet for each row you complete.
Note: You can participate even if the Lacey Library is not your regular library, but bingo sheets do need to be returned to the Lacey Library.
If you have any questions, ask us! You can contact Lacey staff in person, by phone (360) 491-3860, or by chat on our website.
What is a banned book?
Book banning is the practice of prohibiting or restricting the reading of certain books by the general public or by members of a local community or religious group. (Source: Britannica.com)
Banning vs. challenging
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. (Source: ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom)
What subject matter is being challenged the most?
Stories about LGBTQIA+ people; stories about Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; books about activism and rights; sexual content; and stories about religious minorities. (Data from PEN America Index of School Book Bans, 2021-2022)
How many titles are being challenged?
Source: ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom. See here, opens a new window for additional information.
Banned Books Lists:
Top most banned books of 2023, opens a new window
Top most banned books of 2022, opens a new window
Previous years top most banned books, opens a new window
Pen America Index of school book bans, fall 2022, opens a new window
Pen America Index of school book bans, 2022-2023, opens a new window
Top 100 by decade, opens a new window
Explore PEN America's list of the most banned books from the 2022-2023 school year, and make up your mind about their content.
