By Marisa Young | Staff Writer
This year’s Banned Books Week took on the theme “Censorship is so 1984: Read for Your Rights,” according to the American Library Association (ALA).
Banned Books Week, which took place this Oct. 5-11, first emerged in 1982 as a response to an overwhelming number of book challenges in libraries, schools and bookstores. The week serves as an opportunity to commemorate books that have been historically challenged and draw attention to censorship efforts across America.
“The 2025 theme of Banned Books Week serves as a reminder that censorship efforts persist to this day,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said. “We must always come together to stand up for the right to read.”
In order to ban a book at any level, the group concerned must officially file to challenge the book, according to Ellen Filgo, librarian and director of the Liaison Program at Moody Library.
“You can have a say over what you want your child to read,” Filgo said. “But when it is banned or challenged in a library and it is removed, it effectively takes it away from the rest of the public being able to read that book.”
There is an ongoing debate about the constitutionality of banning books from local libraries or institutions. While some argue that book banning infringes on freedom of speech, others hold that certain content should be limited to certain contexts.
“I think it’s a hard situation, especially whenever you look at the range of ages in a library,” Ovilla senior Sarah Cardenas said. “Because there are some books that have inappropriate content for kids’ sections or for academic settings.”
Books are challenged due to groups disagreeing over the content, Filgo said. Last year, 2,524 books were challenged nationally, marking the third-highest number that the ALA has ever recorded since 1982. Data shows that in 2024, 72% of attempts to ban books came from government entities such as board members, elected officials and administrators — followed by 16% of efforts by parents and 12% by other individuals.
Filgo said she believes book censorship goes directly against the First Amendment since it sets limitations on certain forms of speech.
Because of Baylor’s position as a research-oriented university, Filgo said a book challenge would be a rare occurrence. She noted that she has never had to process one in her 18 years at Moody Library.
“We are going to have books from all different perspectives and all different viewpoints, just because we are a research institution,” Filgo said. “And the point of research is to find out the truth, wherever that truth may lie.”
