Cherry Hill families who use the Camden County Library System have until Saturday, Oct. 10, to visit a display of historically banned books placed at the entrance of the library.

The Camden County Commissioners formally recognized Banned Books Week, which runs Sunday, Oct. 4 through Saturday, Oct. 10, in connection with the display, according to the county's announcement. The week's theme, set by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Banned Books Week Coalition, is "Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read."

Among the titles on display is Ulysses by James Joyce. Booksellers and owners were once prosecuted for possessing the novel until a landmark federal court ruling, United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, found the book was not indecent and lifted the ban.

The display arrives during a period of rising book challenges nationwide. The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second-highest total on record after 4,240 in 2023, according to an ALA press release. ALA also released a list of the 150 most challenged books documented from 1990 through 2025, timed to the organization's 150th anniversary.

"Every book on this list is a reminder that readers have the right to explore ideas and decide for themselves what to read," ALA President Maria McCauley said.

Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich, the county's liaison to the Camden County Library System, promoted the system's eight branches during Library Card Sign-up Month in September. Bezich said at the time that libraries provide residents with access to learning, creative resources and essential services, and she encouraged residents to sign up for a card.

Closer to home, the Cherry Hill Public Library took its own step on reading access in August 2024, when its Board of Trustees unanimously voted to become a registered book sanctuary in New Jersey. Cherry Hill Public Library Director Laverne Mann said at the time that the library has always worked to protect patrons' reading rights and defend its collection from censorship.

The Cherry Hill Public Library is a separate township institution from the county library system.

The Camden County display closes Oct. 10, which the ALA designated Let Freedom Read Day.