November 15, 2005
NEWSLibrary exhibit puts focus on banned books
During October, a blindfolded woman greeted students at the Paul A. Elsner Library at MCC. The woman was in a glass case surrounded by books that have, at one time, been banned.
It was part of the display put together by Judy MacQueen commemorating Banned Books Month. The woman was only a wooden bust with a black blindfold. Some of the books in the display include Shel Silverstein’s “A Light in the Attic” and Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses.”
MacQueen is a library assistant, and has been a full-time employee for seven years. MacQueen said she has done a display on banned books for about five years.
Recognizing banned books during October is not just an MCC event.
“The American Library Association has been recognizing banned books since 1982,” Zoë Luter said. Luter is a librarian at MCC.
MacQueen said that when she designed the display she went to the ALA list of banned books.
“We go through the American Library Association,” MacQueen said. “We tried to find what we had that was banned, and bring them down to the display so that people actually had an opportunity to see.”
MacQueen said the library was able to get a poster with some banned books listed on it from the ALA. The poster was displayed alongside the case with the woman’s head.
According to MacQueen, there are four bases under which books are banned. The bases are religious, social, sexual or political.
Books become banned after they are challenged.
“A challenged book is basically somebody, or a group of people, with the intent of removing that book from a collection in a library,” Luter said. Luter added that a book actually becomes banned if it is removed.
Luter said that books are not banned nationally. Books are banned on a local level.
“When we have a list of banned books,” Luter said, “it’s on a library by library basis.”
MacQueen said that the list of books on display is a list of books that, “have been banned at one time, in someplace, somewhere.”
“It’s not like they are all banned forever,” MacQueen said.
MacQueen said that the display has generated interest among the students about the books.
“People are curious,” MacQueen said, “and quite a few have been checked out.”
MacQueen said most of the books checked out were not the more controversial books. Instead, she said students checked out books they had read when they were younger. MacQueen said many people were curious to see why they had been banned.
“How can ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ be banned?” MacQueen said. “People are surprised by what has been banned, and then they want to read it to see; ‘Why has this been banned?’”
Luter said most books get banned in school libraries.
“I think the big concern for people who are trying to censor or ban the books are to protect children,” Luter said.
Luter said that what the MCC library, and libraries across the nation, are trying to do is raise awareness.
“This is our first amendment right,” Luter said, “freedom of speech and freedom of information.”
Luter said that the number of banned books each year is going down. Between 2000-2003 the amount of challenged books dropped from 646 to 458.
“It’s going down,” said Luter speaking of the number of books banned, “so we are obviously doing a fairly good job around the country of making people aware of it.”
MacQueen said though that nationwide censorship in libraries by the patrons is an issue.
“Quite often, it’s been found people remove the books,” MacQueen said, “because they are trying to censor the books for the public. When they find out it’s a banned book they will take it from the shelves.”
Although censorship by the people is a problem in some places, MacQueen said she has not seen it at MCC.
MacQueen said she would suggest to interested students to read some of the books on the banned ook list.
Luter hopes that the display will reach students.
“Again, enforcing the first amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of information,” Luter said, “maybe they would write a paper about it in class or do a presentation on it.”
MacQueen agreed with Luter.
“Make sure you are aware of the freedom to read,” MacQueen said.