Upcoming Events

Announcing this year's ACLU of Texas Banned Books Project's events -- packed with more excitement and eclectica than ever! Two read-a-thons featuring local celebrities, an art show, and more! The annual report listing books banned or challenged by Texas school districts will become available to the public on Sept. 27 for just $5. For more info on the project, please email info@bannedbooks.info.

Read-a-Thon I
BookPeople
Monday, Sept. 27 at 7pm
603 N. Lamar (6th & Lamar)


Readers:
Bob Jensen, UT journalism professor; Laura Furman, English professor; Jesse Sublett, writer; Jordan Steiker, UT Law professor; Spike Gillespie, writer; Sarah Bird, writer; Jackie Goodman, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Austin; Lesley Ramsey, Texas Fair Trade Coalition director; Nina Foxx, writer; Jake Bernstein, Texas Observer editor; Scott Blackwood, writer; Danielle Tierney, Planned Parenthood director of Public Affairs; Liz Belile, writer

Read-a-Thon II
Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 7 pm
Book Woman, 918 W. 12th St. (12th & Lamar)

Readers:
Banned Books volunteer and lawyer Denise Brady; UT Law Professor Jack Getman; poet Genevieve Van Cleve; Attorney Malcolm Greenstein; Filmmaker/Kings'n Things co-founder Mocha Jean Herrup; NAACP Austin leader Nelson Linder; Political Asylum Project of Austin Attorney Edna Yang; Chad Nichols of the Transgressors; Planned Parenthood's Sebastian Colón; and Activist Debbie Russell!

Artists Interruptus anti-censorship art show
Saturday, Oct. 2 from 5-9pm
The Old School, 1604 E. 11th St.

The show features works from Texas artists that have been banned by galleries, cafes, and other public places, as well as pieces that deal with frequently censored themes such as sexuality and the mystical. The show will also feature prints of a 30-panel anti-censorship exhibit organized by the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship; this is the exhibit’s first showing in Texas. Music by Tyler of Sound Audiks; sound by System Surround Sound!

Post-exhibit party at the Longbranch Inn Saturday, Oct. 2 from 9:30pm --??? 1133 E. 11th St.

2003 Report Released

The 2003 report on Banned and Challenged Books in Texas Public Schools has been released to kick off Banned Books Week. 

You can download a pdf version of the executive summary.

You can also view a table listing all of the 2003 challenges in html. This file is rather large and may take some time to load in your browser.

Printed versions of the report are available for $5 each by contacting the ACLU of Texas office at 512-478-7309.

Welcome

For the last seven years, the ACLU of Texas has requested information about banned and challenged materials in Texas public schools through the Texas Public Information Act.

Several "read-a-thons" are scheduled throughout Texas as part of Banned Books Week. Perhaps you can join us at an event.

Project Goals

To raise awareness about the level of challenges and bans in Texas public school libraries;

To encourage school officials to use professional librarian standards when confronted with a challenge;

To encourage other state-level ACLU affiliates, library associations, and similar freedom of expression interest groups to conducting similar surveys in their own states.