Banned Books Week

Every year at this time, book lovers around the country celebrate freedom of expression during Banned Books Week by drawing attention to books that have been banned. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores display the books and people schedule readings from the books.

We are joining the celebration courtesy of  the English Club/Sigma Tau Delta. They are sponsoring readings from the books from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center lounge today, Wednesday and Friday. The readings will be in the courtyard outside Irby Hall at the same times on Tuesday and Thursday.

English professors and students majoring in English are among those who will be reading excerpts from banned books. Some of the excerpts will come from "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie.

Some of the books we now consider among our greatest literature was banned at one time. They include “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, “Native Son” by Richard Wright, “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut and the infamous Harry Potter series.

According to the American Library Association, there were 348 challenges to books last year. Since the association began counting the challenges in 1982, more than 11,000 books have been challenged. Most objections cite violence, sexual content, religious viewpoint, racism and drug use.

Senior Alisha Neblett, secretary of Sigma Tau Delta, said Twilight was banned from school libraries because the violent and sexual scenes inked into the crisp brown pages were deemed inappropriate for high school and middle school students.

“Books are ways to get ideas out there,” Neblett said. “Banned Books Week helps to raise awareness and emphasize the freedom of ideas.”

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