Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the Banned Book Read-out happening in the Gary Strong Curriculum Center from 12:30 – 2 p.m. on Oct. 4. In acknowledgement of Banned Book Week happening from Oct. 1 – 7, the UI community will gather on the third floor of the Education Building to read and listen to excerpts of banned and challenged books. This event is a chance for UI to stand up against censorship and remind attendees of their right to read.
Gary Strong Curriculum Center Supervisor, Suzie Davis, is coordinating the Read-out event and explained that after a few years of hiatus due to COVID, they decided to bring the event back due to the increase of books being banned in the past years.
“We want to bring attention and awareness to increased book bans and remind people that it’s our First Amendment right to be able to read what we want to read,” Davis said.
The number of books being banned or challenged in the U.S. has been steadily increasing over the past few years. In fact, in 2022 there were 1,269 demands to censor library books, almost double the 729 challenges in 2021 according to the American Library Association.
At this year’s Banned Book Read Out, faculty, staff and students from across the University will gather to read and celebrate books that have been banned or challenged. Those reading will include Dean of Libraries, Ben Hunter, Dean of Education Health and Human Sciences, Brooke Blevin and Dean of Students Blaine Eckles.
“Our goal is to remind people that we have the freedom to read,” Davis said.
Books are often banned or challenged by concerned parents or community members, and most of the books that have been banned in recent years were written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTIA+ community. So far this year, from January through August alone, the American Library Association reported that there were 1,915 books challenged in the U.S., which is a 20% increase from last year during the same reporting period.
“Most of the banned or challenged books have been things of LGBTQA+ nature or regarding people of color,” Davis said. “It’s whatever somebody’s idea of pornographic or inappropriate material is, even though it’s against the law to have anything pornographic in a public library,”
Unfortunately, Idaho ranks among the states with some of the highest levels of censorship and banned books, with 146 books challenged so far just this year. States with higher amounts of attempted book bans include Virginia with 356 titles challenged, and Texas with 1,120 banned or challenged books.
Davis explained that the Banned Book Read out is a great start for students and the UI community who are interested in fighting against censorship and book banning in the U.S. She also encouraged students to stay educated and informed about what books are being banned or challenged across the country.
“Know your statistics, know your facts,” Davis said. “And just continue to read banned books, the more you can understand another culture or another lifestyle, the more accepting you’ll be. So, keep educating yourself and stay informed.”
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]