Banned Books Week: A Follow-Up

Although it may have only been nationally recognized for seven days, we are still basking in the positive energy stemming from a successful Banned Books Week! 

In case you missed it, the Blough-Weis Library, along with thousands of other libraries and bookstores nationwide, celebrated Banned Books Week from Oct. 5-11, advocating against censorship and the banning of books. 

To commemorate this significant event properly, library faculty, staff, and student-workers prepared for weeks in advance. A periodic table of banned books was created by library staff members Morgan MacVaugh and Jenny Roberts-Reilley and displayed in the leisure books section, with each ‘element’ of the table corresponding to a different book that has either been challenged or banned across the country. The titles ranged from children’s books, such as And Tango Makes Three, to young adult literature like George Orwell’s 1984. Nearly taking up an entire wall, the exhibit garnered serious foot traffic during Banned Books Week, and remained on display for the entirety of October.

In addition to the display, the library also tabled in two locations: the Blough-Weis Library and the Degenstein Campus Center. With informational bookmarks, buttons made by student-workers, and even the ability to check out banned books directly at the table, a great deal of attention was brought to the tables, and various library staff were able to interact with more than three hundred people over the course of the week. Echo Yordy, one of the library’s student workers, commented that it was “lovely to talk to such a diverse group of people” and banned books “deserve to have a light shone on them in all areas.” While tabling, Yordy brought nearly a hundred people to the table single-handedly. Bringing this amount of attention to Banned Books Week was huge for the library, as we were able to spread awareness about banned books and censorship to those who were either unfamiliar with the subject or aren’t frequent visitors to the library and may have otherwise missed the display. 

Students were also given the opportunity to enter a giveaway to win a free banned book and tote bag at each table by scanning a QR code and filling out a survey. Congratulations to winners Jazmyn Moodie, Kiara De Silva, Meredith Radka, Calyssa Hurler, Sydney Greiner, and Violet Favell! 

I also had the pleasure of talking to Susquehanna Alumni and University Trustee David German ‘84 over Homecoming Weekend about his passion for banned books after he reached out to the library to express how thrilled he was to hear we were promoting the freedom to read. German explained that “reading and writing are essential in communicating our shared humanity” and how “books provide a means of learning about one another…from the things we celebrate to the tragedies we endure.” In our meeting, German showed me a few of his favorite banned books, including All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, which has become one of the most banned books in the U.S. due to its LGBTQ+ content and sexually explicit themes. This book was also one of the elements on the periodic table display. 

“Books can help us learn and bring hope for living and surviving. I believe that if each one of us shared our deepest thoughts and feelings, wishes and fantasies, that it’s possible for someone to say our own story should be banned, and to me, that would be like saying we should all be banned.” It was a delight to discuss such a noteworthy subject with an incredible man, and I found it amazing that banned books and the action of censorship can unite individuals across generations of time regardless of beliefs and backgrounds.  

Though we only officially celebrated for one week, banned books is a topic that should be discussed year-round. Everyone should have the freedom to read what they please, and no book should be banned just because it’s different.  

If you want to learn more about banned books and censorship as a whole, www.uniteagainstbookbans.org by the American Library Association is a great resource to utilize, but also feel free to meet with any of the Blough-Weis librarians; they are more than happy to spread their wealth of knowledge.  

Stay tuned for next year’s Banned Books Week and in the meantime, look out for future library events! 

Lily Papendick (‘28) currently attends Susquehanna University as a double major in creative writing and publishing & editing with a minor in marketing. Originally from Byram, NJ, Lily currently serves as the Content Editor for the Luxury Brand Marketing Club, a staff writer for the arts & entertainment section of The Quill, and is an active member of SU Dance Corps. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, watching movies, especially her favorite rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You and spending time at the beach with her family.