Banned book week

Source: USHMM Archives #01628

September 26−October 3, 2009 is Banned Book week. 

This is the American Library Association's Banned Book Week. Celebrated each year, the ALA sponsors a number of events to alert Americans to efforts to censor books. This year, there are public readings of books banned recently and historically. The struggle to find the proper degree of protection for children, and teaching them the responsibility of liberty and the evils of censorship will always difficult. And, we will always think that our personal choice is obviously correct. 

The ALA has prepared Map of 120 locations were books were banned from public, or school libraries in the United States in the last year. Check it out for a banned book near you.

The history of book banning and book burning extends practically back to the first published book. But none have been more infamous, or thorough than the Nazis from 1932-1939. Among their banned book orders are some surprises. For example, It would surprise many people that the entire works of Charles Darwin, and German biologist Ernst Haeckel were banned by the Nazis.
 
Die Bucherei, the official Nazi journal for lending libraries, published these collection evaluation "guidelines" during the second round of " Nazi purifications" (saüberung). Guidelines from Die Bücherei 2:6 (1935), p. 279

6. Schriften weltanschaulichen und lebenskundlichen Charakters, deren Inhalt die falsche naturwissenschaftliche Aufklärung eines primitiven Darwinismus und Monismus ist (Häckel).

6. Writings of a philosophical and social nature whose content deals with the false scientific enlightenment of primitive Darwinism and Monism (Häckel)

One person it would have surprised was the late Rev. D. James Kennedy who wrote, "Hitler was an devout evolutionist. He instructed his troops in evolution and had them provided with books by Darwin and Friedrich Nietzsche." He was expressing a belief long common among creationsits, and actively promoted today.

So, celebrate your right to read by reading a banned book today!