Trinity Library Observes Banned Books Week With Slate of Events

Fields Thomas ’29

Staff Writer

In early October, schools and colleges across the nation participated in the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, a time in which students and their instructors emphasize the freedom to read and protest censorship. Over the past two decades, the number of challenged and banned books has significantly increased. As books are being pulled from shelves, libraries are also facing deep budget cuts and threats to public funding.

From Oct. 6–10, Trinity’s library drew attention to what sort of books were being banned. Many of the banned titles are written by and/or are about individuals from marginalized communities, including people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. While those who acknowledge Banned Books Week claim these books reflect real experiences and deserve to be heard, local policies push to suppress them. 

Throughout the library, displays of books that have been banned were laid out: Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Stephen Chbosky’s “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” and more works were seen among the displays. 

On Monday, Oct. 6, a day-long reading of George Orwell’s “1984,” a widely banned novel that includes suppression of media among its key themes, took place. Beginning at 9 a.m., the reading took place on the Cave patio as students, faculty, and staff took turns to collectively read Orwell’s novel.

The week saw many other events as well: a “Blind Date With a Banned Book” event took place on Level A of the library on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and a zine-making workshop was held on Thursday, Oct. 9. Paperscapes, posters, and books were spread across different workrooms, accompanied by displays of art and cultural events.

Also on Thursday, a lecture by Emily Drabinski, former president of the American Library Association (ALA) and associate professor and chair of Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, CUNY, was held in the Englehart Reading Room. During the lecture, entitled “Beyond Book Bans: Building Power for the World We Want,” Drabinski spoke and answered questions, sharing her personal history with libraries and what she has learned from her work as president of the ALA. Among her remarks was one about the progress and effort being put into pushback against book banning. She also spoke about expanding beyond the simple idea that book banning is bad and encouraged the audience to see bans within the context of larger political problems.

Drabinski emphasized the importance of not only books but also libraries themselves and what they offer communities. A library, she noted, is not just for books: it hosts classes, provides a place for children after school, can contain additional resources like a recording studio, a day camp, and public support, and is a place where children can go to feel safe.