The city of West Hollywood recognizes Banned Books Week, which takes place through Saturday, Oct. 7. The City Council of West Hollywood adopted Resolution 23-082 in support of Banned Books Week at its regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 18.

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Banned Books Week seeks to highlight the value of free and open access to information, celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.

According to a report by PEN America, a 100-year-old nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of literature and human rights, the number of individual book bans across the country increased by 28% during the first half of the 2022-23 school year, compared to the prior six months.

Book bans are happening at an alarming rate not only throughout the nation, but in California, as well. In 2022, The American Library Association documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources, the highest number of attempted book bans since the ALA began compiling such data more than 20 years ago. Most of these censorship attempts targeted books for a teen audience and were by or about Black or LGBTQ+ persons.

Los Angeles County Library has established a Books Unbanned initiative in response to a motion introduced by Los Angeles County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey P. Horvath. L.A. County Library is one of the largest public library systems in the United States, serving residents living in 49 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, including in the city of West Hollywood with West Hollywood Library.

The Books Unbanned initiative was launched with a news conference at West Hollywood Library on Monday, Oct. 2, and makes digital library cards available to all California teenagers ages 13-18. It offers free and unrestricted access to the LA County Library’s entire digital eBook and audiobook collection, which includes many frequently banned titles. For information about the initiative and about obtaining an LA County Library digital library card, visit lacountylibrary.org/books-unbanned.