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Banned Books Read-out
October 4, 2023 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
One event on October 5, 2023 at 8:00 am
One event on October 5, 2023 at 1:00 pm
One event on October 6, 2023 at 9:00 am
This week in the SVC libraries, we are celebrating Banned Books Week 2023!
Banned Books Week (officially October 1-7) celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
We have displays of banned and challenged books highlighted at both campus libraries.
The libraries will be keeping our displays up for longer than a week, but we’d like encourage you and our students to participate in creating nationwide awareness this week if possible.
“The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has released preliminary data documenting a continued uptick in attempts to censor books, materials, and services across public, school, and academic libraries in the United States during the first eight months of 2023. Between January 1 and August 31, 2023, OIF reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles – a 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022, which saw the highest number of book challenges since ALA began compiling the data more than 20 years ago. The vast majority of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community”. Find out more here.
Here’s how to participate at SVC:
- Stop by your nearest SVC library, on Mount Vernon or Whidbey campus
- Take a picture with your favorite banned book (or have it taken by us)
- Post it to our Instagram page @svclibraries
- Encourage others to participate!
Pop in to the Mount Vernon campus library this week to record a short video while reading a banned book. Choose a book from our display or if you have a book that you own that has been banned, bring it in. Here are the times we will be recording:
Wednesday, Oct. 4: 1-5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 5: 8-10 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 6: 9 a.m.-noon
With your permission, videos will be uploaded to the library YouTube page!!