“Goodnight Moon,” “The Giving Tree” and “Charlotte’s Web” – all of these books are considered childhood classics. All of these books are also at risk of being banned.
Last year, efforts to censor 4,240 unique book titles from schools and libraries were recorded. However, Jessica Dai, organizational development and learning librarian at the university, explained that that number does not note how many times each book has been challenged and that not every challenged book gets recorded.
To combat worldwide censorship, Banned Book Week was invented in 1982. This internationally celebrated week was recognized and celebrated by the university, with various events happening from Sept. 22-28.
“Many of my students will say things like, ‘Oh, I’m so glad I don’t live in Florida or I don’t live in Texas,’” April Kendra, assistant professor in the English department, said. “In response I say, look at what’s happening in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. It’s not comfortably far away.
“We are fortunate that Delaware ranks very low in terms of censorship challenges. But we’re certainly not immune.”
Although Delaware is not currently a state of concern, Foundational Sciences Librarian Bob Tolliver pointed out how access to literature is an important aspect of intellectual freedom at the university.
“It’s a core value of our libraries, as well as the university, to make sure people can read what they want and make decisions for themselves,” Tolliver said.
Throughout the week, the university has held informational tables, a zine-making event and the 12th annual Banned Books Read-Out.
The read-out was held Wednesday at Morris Library. Students, faculty and staff read passages from their favorite banned or challenged books to speak out against censorship.
Liv Schwaber, a student at the university, read a passage from “Hop on Pop” by Dr. Suess.
“I liked that book a lot when I was little, and I was shocked to see that it’s one of the books that’s being challenged,” Schwaber said. “To be able to read whatever you want is to be able to think whatever you want. And if we ban books, we’re limiting what people can think and do.”
Another student, Kat Henretty, read a passage from “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, stating that it was the perfect book to read due to the fact that “it is so graphic, but it needed to be.”
“Books are such an important thing that so many people look to as a way to cope, or a way to maybe help them understand how they’re feeling,” Henretty said. “I think taking these books away from people is taking a lot away from self-exploration, learning and healing.”
Oftentimes, challenged books are books that are written by or represent minority groups. According to Tolliver, this can be particularly troubling, as it silences particular voices and prevents people from hearing and sharing stories that represent them.
Last year, 47% of attempted censored books were titles that represented the voices and lived experiences of queer individuals and people of color.
“The books most likely to be targeted are the books that are expressing the views of people who are not white, who are not necessarily privileged,” Kendra said. “Those are the voices that are really getting drowned out. And those are voices that I think young people really need to hear sometimes, to know that they’re not alone, that they matter, that they have value.”
Although Banned Books Week is only once a year, Dai pointed out that this is a year-round issue and that action can extend past this one week.
According to Dai, recognizing the connections between intellectual freedom and banning, voting in the upcoming election and reading a banned book are all ways for students to fight against censorship. The university will also be co-hosting a panel discussion on banned books and censorship on Oct. 28.
When asked why access to literature is important, Kendra paraphrased an essay by Rudine Sims Bishop.
“Books can be windows into another experience, maybe another world that you haven’t personally been part of. It can be a sliding glass door that allows you to imaginatively enter into a different experience or a different time. And when the lighting is just right, it can also be a mirror that reflects back to your own experiences.”