Banned Books Week
What is it?
Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read. It highlights the history of how the week came about, the books that are censored, what censorship is, and so much more. This is a week-long event that also works to help patrons understand the harm censorship can cause. Our activities will be held from October 1st to 7th, 2023. This year, Banned Books Week is more important than ever as book bans are rising across the nation. We hope you can join us in person and online to help raise awareness and let freedom read!
Learn more about the history of Banned Books Week here!
Check out our new Information Academic Freedom Process/Policy to see how to protect your freedom to read here.
Banned Books Week 2023 Theme: Let Freedom Read!
Events
Lunch and Learn: Ethics, Expression, and the Enigma of Section 230
Join us on October 3rd from 12:30-1:30 in Room 480 for a lecture by Professor Karla Carter from the College of Science & Technology. This talk covers how the legislation containing the “26 words that made the Internet” – Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 – shapes our online freedoms and affects both online speech and internet safety. Is Section 230 a safeguard for free expression, or does it serve as a hidden mechanism for censorship? Join us for a nuanced discussion that navigates the intricate maze of ethics, rights, and responsibilities in our digital age. Register now here.
Contest: Reasons a book was banned
Take this short quiz to test your knowledge of banned books and the reasons that they were banned. This quiz is available online and in person. The winner will get a copy of the most banned book of 2022: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.
Activities
Would You Rather?
Make your opinion heard! We would like to hear from you with our would you rather board stationed between the puzzle table and our main doors. Grab a marker and cast your vote.
Make your own banned book
Do you like origami or passing notes in class? Then this craft is for you. Learn how to fold and decorate your own mini-Zine, the original banned book. Materials will be spread out around the Library, so come in and give it a try.
De-stress coloring fest
Banned books can be a stressful topic. At the Library, we love to provide easy activities to help you relax. We will have coloring page bookmarks for anyone to use throughout the library. As well as banned books to use them in.
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“Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, www.ala.org”
Don’t forget to check out our displays highlighting current trends in censorship across the media and memoirs of celebrities who have been censored or are actively against censorship. While we can focus solely on the books themselves, this year our goal is to provide voices and facts about the issues of censorship.