Banned Books Week

As Banned Books Week takes place across the nation this September, Trinity University will be participating by offering original programs and events. Since 1990, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has recorded more than 8,300 book challenges, and there were 546 known attempts to remove books in 2006, 141 more than in 2005, or a 35% increase. About 70% of the challenges took place in schools and school libraries, where students and teachers often have little or no say in the matter. Institutions of higher education are in a unique position to affirm the freedom to read and write and to promote an environment of tolerance and informed discussion.

Trinity University will celebrate Banned Books Week again this year with a week of lunchtime readings September 24-27th, and An Evening of Banned Books, 7 p.m., September 27th.

The lunchtime readings will begin on Monday, September 24th at the Coates Library, and will move to the Coates Center Esplanade Tuesday through Thursday, September 25-27. Readings will take place 11:30-12:30 p.m.

An Evening of Banned Books will take place at the Chapman Auditorium on Thursday, September 27th, at 7 p.m., and will focus on the effects of censorship on writers. A panel of students and teachers from the high school and university level will read original work and discuss the impact of book challenges and bans on their work.

 

Participants will include:

Andrew Porter, English Dept.

Cynthia Hawkins, English Teacher, Providence HS

Casey Strickland - Trinity Student

Analicia Sotelo - Trinity Student

Moderator - Dr. Jennifer Henderson, Communication Dept.

The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

Sponsored by the Coates Library and the department of Communication with support from the following departments: Classical Studies, English, Speech and Drama, and the International Programs Office.

 

For more information, call Jeremy Donald (210) 999-8176, or email jdonald@trinity.edu.

For a list of banned books in Texas school see:  http://www.aclutx.org/projects/bannedbooks.php

For a national list see:  http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm