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LSU Libraries is exhibiting challenged and banned books in Middleton Library in honor of Banned Book Week, a celebration of the freedom to read.
Banned Books Week (BBW) shows students the importance of keeping unorthodox or unpopular ideas available in literature for those who wish to read them.
The American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom promotes awareness of challenges to library materials and celebrates freedom of speech and freedom of the right to read each year with BBW during the last week of September. This year it is promoting its message with the theme ‘Speak, Read, Know.’
“It reminds us that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves,” Peggy Chalaron, head librarian of education resources said. “Intellectual freedom goes hand-in-hand with academic freedom, and college provides the opportunity to explore new ideas, even those that are considered unorthodox or unpopular.”
Most challenged materials are children’s books in schools and libraries because parents often initiate challenges.
Challenges are often motivated by a desire to protect children from ‘inappropriate’ sexual content or ‘offensive’ language, according to the American Library Association’s website. The website reports the top three reasons cited for challenging materials are that the content was ‘sexually explicit’, contained ‘offensive language’, or was ‘unsuited to any age group.’
“Parents make a big deal about this stuff,” mass communication senior Laura Juengling said. “It’s silly to worry about most of it.”
A table with handouts and books on censorship and BBW introduced the exhibit. Charts and graphs displayed quantitative data about various aspects of book challenges including number of challenges per year, institutions and initiators of challenges and reason. Two glass cases featured books that were banned or challenged throughout history and information about each book’s challenge.
The rest of the exhibit had three sections featuring Caldecott, King and Newbery Award winning books, the most frequently challenged books of 2008 and books banned in Louisiana. Many are popular, like “Gossip Girl,” or are commonly required school readings, like “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
While various parishes, schools and cities in Louisiana have challenged books, LSU never has.
“LSU libraries does not challenge or ban books,” Chalaron said.
The BBW exhibit is popular with students and professors alike.
“Students comment that they look forward to seeing it each year,” Chalaron said. “Professors use it for assignments and sometimes ask us to extend the length of the exhibit.”
“I happened to be on the library site and the exhibit caught my attention,” Juengling said. “I don’t usually come to stuff like this but this one seemed interesting.”
The exhibit will available until October 26.
Banned Book Week promotes the freedom to read, but not everyone is taking advantage of that freedom. In 2005, 65 percent of college freshmen said they read little or nothing for pleasure, according to www.usatoday.com. The National Endowment for the Arts’ website said Americans from ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time reading on average.
Chalaron said she’s not sure students read less, but knows books are part of the information explosion.
“An amazing amount of information is readily available today, much of it through reading,” Chalaron said.
Banned Book Week serves to remind students reading not only is a vast source of information, but a pleasure to be appreciated and a right to be valued.
“Students read for curiosity, pleasure or because it’s required,” Chalaron said. “Hopefully that reading will include books that will shape their lives, broaden their understanding and increase their knowledge.”
