OPL Looks Back for Banned Books Week 2026

This year, Banned Books Week takes place Oct. 4-10 with the theme of “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” But what is Banned Books Week and why does it matter?

Banned Books Week was created in 1982 in response to an increase in calls for books to be removed from libraries, schools and bookstores. It’s an annual initiative that brings together librarians, booksellers, teachers, publishers and readers to celebrate the freedom to read and the ability to access information.

A book is considered challenged when there’s an attempt to remove or restrict access to it based on objections. A book ban is when material is actually removed from a collection after a challenge.

While Omaha receives fewer book challenges than some other cities in the U.S., it is not immune. One interesting moment in Omaha Public Library history is when Madonna’s coffee table book “Sex” was published on Oct. 21, 1992, shortly after her fifth studio album, “Erotica”.

The book explored her sexual fantasies through photography and text, making it mature in content; it received widespread calls for its removal across the nation, especially right here in Omaha. The book created quite the media frenzy, so much so that it landed OPL in newspapers, magazines, radio station segments and even a mention on a late-night television show.

In addition to its mature content, the book came with a hefty price tag of $49.95 and was spiral-bound, which isn’t ideal for durability and long-term library usage. While the book sold out almost immediately upon release, it quickly faced backlash and calls for it to be removed or omitted from library and bookstore shelves.

One of Omaha’s City Council members felt so strongly about the book that he wrote a letter asking for it to be kept out of Omaha’s libraries and had five other City Council members and the mayor sign it before sending it to the media.

This resulted in what some call the Streisand Effect — there was little community interest locally in the book before, but the letter meant to silence it instead brought greater attention. Some felt that government leaders were overstepping in trying to restrict material, and interest only grew. As a result, OPL received an anonymous donation of the book; it was later revealed to have been donated by Neil Simon, a former state senator with the goal of protecting against censorship.

“Sex” was a bestseller for weeks, and while many strongly voiced their opposition, there were others in the community who wanted to read it. OPL, like many other libraries in the U.S., felt it was important not to restrict access and ultimately decided to put it into circulation.

“Sex” became the first and only book at OPL where patrons had to present an I.D. verifying they were at least 18 years old to check it out. Even with this guardrail to keep it out of the hands of the youth, it received 94 challenges. The same City Council member who fought to keep the book from being purchased using city funds organized a letter-writing campaign in Omaha to ask for the book’s removal. Around 500 letters were sent from citizens, churches and other non-profit groups.

Protests at libraries erupted across the U.S., fueling the fire and adding to the curiosity. Four years after the release, 238 patrons remained on the waiting list at OPL.

At this point, the library had four copies of the book, which wasn’t enough to keep up with the demand. So, in the OPL Foundation newsletter, a plea was made for donations of popular books with longer waitlists, including “Sex.”

This prompted a journalist from the Omaha World-Herald to write an article as an update to the political saga, which resulted in the story being picked up by United Press International and, from there, it was then discussed on radio, television and in at least 30 other local and national newspapers. Omaha even received a special mention from late-night television host Jay Leno, who poked fun at the fact that this book was such a hot commodity here after the rest of the country had moved on. It became more difficult to source copies of the book due to its limited initial printing.

In an interview that appeared in the Aug. 16, 1996, Entertainment Weekly magazine, OPL’s adult collection manager, Mary Griffin, told journalist Casey Davidson, “‘My real hope,’" sighs Griffin, ‘is Madonna calls us and says, ‘I have an extra case of these in the garage.’ We’d be happy to take them off her hands.”

While Madonna didn’t call OPL herself, the director of Field Sales for Warner Books, Inc. (the original publisher) donated three copies. OPL received a few more, at one point having ten copies of the book, all coming from generous donors. As time went on, the waitlist finally subsided, and the book eventually left OPL’s shelves as many books of that age do. The story remains an interesting chapter in censorship history at OPL, and continues to emphasize the importance of libraries safeguarding intellectual freedom.

This year, at an August 2026 City of Omaha budget meeting, the City Council voted to increase OPL’s materials budget to help branches keep up with the growing demand for physical and digital materials. This will allow OPL to continue meeting the need for books, DVDs, periodicals, online resources and so much more.

If you want to participate in Banned Books Week, check out the American Library Association’s Most Challenged Books list, pick up a copy of a banned book and have a discussion with a friend or neighbor.

In honor of Banned Books Week, the Friends of Omaha Public Library are auctioning off a copy of Madonna’s book! This donated copy is still in its original foil wrapping and was not part of OPL’s circulating collection, though it was stored in the archives for many years.