When some people check out a book from the library or walk through the shelves of Bird Library to distract themselves from studying, they don’t realize that there are restrictions placed on what they can read.

The last week in September is referred to as Banned Books Week, and is internationally recognized as an opportunity to acknowledge a list of banned books and their contributions to broader culture.

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This year, Banned Books Week runs from Sept. 23 to 29. The Hazard Branch Library — part of the Onondaga County Public Libraries — is using the the entire month to honor the event with a themed scavenger hunt.

Starting Sept. 4, the library is inviting participants aged 13 to 18 to search for 10 Banned Book Cards, essentially just decorated index cards, placed throughout the library, with a prize presented to their winner. The event is free to participate in with no sign-ups required.

Banned books are defined as those that have been removed from a library collection, according to the SU Libraries website. Challenged books are ones that people have challenged but haven’t successfully banned yet.

While every library or school has their own procedure for allowing people to challenge a book and potentially ban it, the American Library Association releases a “Top Ten Most Challenged Books” list every April. The 10 books included in the list will be used in the scavenger hunt.

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The 2017 list includes “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, “Drama” by Raina Telgemeier and “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher.

While these books have been banned for various reasons and have faced mixed reactions, Betsy Gomez, the Banned Books Week coordinator, wants people to recognize how books are banned in the first place.

“Censorship thrives in silence,” Gomez said. “If we don’t identify it, acknowledge it, and discuss it, more books and plays will be at risk.”

Banned Books Week is not only to recognize banned books, but it also helps raise awareness about the importance of free speech in literature.

In 2016, students and faculty at SU came together for the 5th annual “Black & Banned!” event in which they read aloud from famous banned and challenged books in Bird Library. Organizers also made sure to read work from African-American authors to highlight that their work is often marginalized.

While most people only hear of banned books during this month, a primary goal of event organizers is to give longevity to the cause.

“It’s a year-round fight to prevent censorship,” Gomez said.

But awareness is looking optimistic.

“Fortunately, most challenges don’t result in a ban because members of the community, educators, librarians, booksellers, artists and advocates like the members of the Banned Books Week Coalition shed a light on censorship and fight attempts to ban materials,” she said.

Published on September 4, 2018 at 1:12 am

Contact Sarah: srslavin@syr.edu