Book banning occurs when certain literary pieces are labeled as being “too controversial” for readers, thus causing them to be pulled from the shelves of public schools, libraries, and even prisons. While these bans are not official, they often serve to greatly restrict access to stories and information.
In recent years, the number of books being either challenged or banned has seen a staggering rise. The American Library Association (ALA) has reported that the number of books targeted for prohibition increased by 65 percent last year in 2023.
With this surge in the frequency of book bans, there has also been an expanded effort to censor books with themes related to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Among these threatened books are famous titles such as Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Here on campus, the Dulaney-Browne Library is participating in Banned Book Week to aid in the ongoing fight against book censorship.
Banned Book Week is a national school event that occurs annually from Sept. 22 through Sept. 28. This event protests the suppression of literature and celebrates free and open access to information.
“We try to highlight when things are censored… it’s about intellectual freedom and being exposed to different ideas.” Said Dulaney-Browne librarian Christina Wolfe.
The theme for this year’s Banned Book Week event is ‘A Light in the Dark,’ and a handful of book-related activities are planned for the week.
Most notable is the censored board of banned books—a large whiteboard that invites all students to comment on some of the banned books they have read in the past. Students can share their personal experiences with banned books and encourage others to check them out.
The banned books display showcases some of the banned books that can be found at (and checked out from) the Dulaney-Browne Library.
“[if] someone doesn’t want you to know something, you should find out about it.” Said Brady Harrell, the organizer for this year’s Banned Book Week event.
Lastly, the library will host a writing workshop in collaboration with the Sigma Tau Delta student organization. This workshop will allow young writers to come together and sharpen their literary skills.
As the Dulaney-Browne Library shines a spotlight on the struggle for intellectual freedom during Banned Book Week, it reaffirms the belief that every book– regardless of its content, deserves a spot on the shelves.
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