You Can Take Away Our Books, But You Can't Take Away Our Freedom
Sarah McIntire
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: News
Every September since 1982, the American Library Association has launched an assertive, First Amendment-based campaign to highlight the downright necessity of preserving the freedom to read. This September marked the 27th annual Banned Books Week, a series of school and library events throughout the country that encourages, "the freedom to express one's opinion, even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular".
Ever since the availability of widespread literature via Gutenberg's printing press in the 1400s, books have been challenged or even banned worldwide because of what material is deemed controversial at the time. In recent history, the mass burning of books by Nazis is a popular example, but America is not immune to this asinine censorship of the written word. Banned Books Week is designed to draw attention to works that are frequently removed from schools and local libraries and to, "ensure the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them".
FSU celebrated the culmination of Banned Books Week on Thursday, October 2, with a literature reading by students and faculty on the fifth floor of the Ort Library. The event was co-sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society) and library staff. Five students and eight faculty members went to the podium that evening to read excerpts from works that have been frequently challenged in past years.
The complete list of titles read were as follows: Brave New World, James and the Giant Peach, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, The Inferno, Justine, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Grapes of Wrath, The Anarchist's Cookbook, American Psycho, Child of God, and Howl. These were presented by Dr. Sydney Duncan, Sarah McIntire, Lindsay Howell, Andrew Duncan, Pam Williams, Mary Ann Chapman, Dr. Amy Branam, Joanna Eastham, Susan Gratto, Jeffrey Maehre, MaryJo Price, Clint Garner, and Gerry LaFemina, respectively.
Ever since the availability of widespread literature via Gutenberg's printing press in the 1400s, books have been challenged or even banned worldwide because of what material is deemed controversial at the time. In recent history, the mass burning of books by Nazis is a popular example, but America is not immune to this asinine censorship of the written word. Banned Books Week is designed to draw attention to works that are frequently removed from schools and local libraries and to, "ensure the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them".
FSU celebrated the culmination of Banned Books Week on Thursday, October 2, with a literature reading by students and faculty on the fifth floor of the Ort Library. The event was co-sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society) and library staff. Five students and eight faculty members went to the podium that evening to read excerpts from works that have been frequently challenged in past years.
The complete list of titles read were as follows: Brave New World, James and the Giant Peach, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, The Inferno, Justine, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Grapes of Wrath, The Anarchist's Cookbook, American Psycho, Child of God, and Howl. These were presented by Dr. Sydney Duncan, Sarah McIntire, Lindsay Howell, Andrew Duncan, Pam Williams, Mary Ann Chapman, Dr. Amy Branam, Joanna Eastham, Susan Gratto, Jeffrey Maehre, MaryJo Price, Clint Garner, and Gerry LaFemina, respectively.
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