Hours Update • Thanksgiving Break

Archer Library Hours • Thanksgiving Break

• Tuesday, 11/25:  7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, 11/26 - Sunday, 11/30:  Closed

Archer Library's fall hours schedule resumes on Monday, December 1st. A complete listing of library hours and updates is available on our website and the full library hours calendar.

Trial Database • Academic Video Online (AVON)

Explore Academic Video Online (AVON)

Just in time for the holidays! Enjoy our trial database, Academic Video Online (AVON), effective now through Dec. 31, 2025. Please let us know whether the library should subscribe to it or not, as well as any questions regarding access at library@ashland.edu. 

Access AVON from our A-Z Database List. For quick access, there's a link in the New/Trial Databases section. 

Database Description: Academic Video Online is the most comprehensive video subscription available to libraries. It delivers 62,000+ titles with content curated for the educational experience including documentaries, films, demonstrations and more.

Archer Library • Fall Break Hours

Library Hours • Fall Break

• Thursday, October 16:  7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, October 17:  7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, October 18: Closed
• Sunday, October 19: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

A complete listing of library hours and updates is available on our website and the main library calendar. Have a safe and enjoyable fall break!

Banned Books Week 2025 • Book Ban Data

Resources & Information

The Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles data on book challenges from reports by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States. Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the 2024 data compiled by ALA represents only a snapshot of book censorship throughout the year (ALA, 2024 Book Ban Data).

Banned Books Week 2025 • Event Display

“Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.” 
Established in 1982, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to read.  Banned Books Week is October 5 – 11, 2025.

It's not too late. Visit our Banned Books Week display.
Learn more about banned and challenged books by exploring Archer Library's Banned Books Week display located on the main floor. Help yourself to a Banned Books Week sticker, bookmark, information sheet, puzzle, or coloring page.

Banned Books Week 2025 • Library Guide

Banned Books Week Library Guide

Explore Archer Library's Banned Books Week library guide. Learn more about the differences between banned vs challenged books, resources available in library collections, Banned Book Week infographics, and additional details about the Top 10 Challenged Books in 2024. New titles are not the only ones being challenged, view the section on Challenged Classics for information on previously banned titles such as Of Mice and Men, The Call of the Wild, and Beloved.

Banned Books Week 2025 • By the Numbers

Censorship by the Numbers

The who, what, where, and why of censorship. 

"Censorship Is So 1984 -- Read for Your Rights! With the escalation in attempts to ban books in libraries, schools, and bookstores around the country, George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship. This year’s Banned Books Week theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights" (ALA, Banned Books Week 2025)

Banned Books Week 2025 • Top 10 List

Top 10 Most Challenged Books 

"The American Library Association documented 821 attempts to censor materials and services at libraries, schools, and universities in 2024. The most common reasons for challenges were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and dealing with topics of race, racism, inclusivity, equity, and social justice. Of the 2,452 unique titles that were challenged or banned in 2024, here are the top 10 most frequently targeted" (ALA, Banned Books Week 2025).

Banned Books Week • Top 10

 Top 10 Challenged Books of 2024 

"Since 2021, ALA has tracked a sharp spike in censorship attempts in libraries. In 2024, ALA recorded the third highest number of book challenges since tracking began in 1990: ALA documented 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials in 2024 across all library types, a decrease from 2023, when a record high 1,247 attempts were reported. ALA recorded attempts to remove 2,452 unique titles in 2024, which significantly exceeds the average of 273 unique titles that were challenged annually during 2001–2020." (ALA, Top 10 Most Challenged Books). 

The ten most challenged titles, along with reasons cited for censoring the books, are featured in this video. Click here to view the video on the IRC's Kaltura site.