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K-State Today

September 28, 2012

Campus events for Banned Books Week

Submitted by Donna Ekart

Banned Books Week

In observance of Banned Books Week next week at the university, K-State Libraries, Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, and the department of English are co-sponsoring a series of events in conjunction with the American Library Association's annual event.

Forming the centerpiece of K-State's observance are daily readings from books that have been banned or challenged in libraries and schools. Readers include faculty and staff from the K-State Libraries and the English department, as well as members of Sigma Tau Delta.

Readings will be held daily from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Free Speech Zone at Bosco Student Plaza. They are free and open to the public.

"The American Library Association holds Banned Books Week each year in the fall to celebrate the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment," said Daniel Ireton, assistant professor and undergraduate and community services librarian at K-State Libraries. "We've collaborated with the English department for the last several years on this event. It's a natural partnership between people who are passionate about the value of reading."

Readings will be drawn from the list of most frequently banned and challenged books during the last decade. Selections are expected from works such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," the "Hunger Games" and "Gossip Girl" series, "Brave New World" and the children's book, "And Tango Makes Three." Readers will read aloud in 15-minute shifts.

Students, faculty, and community members further interested in censorship's impact on education are invited to attend the panel discussion, "Banned Books: A Conversation about Censorship," at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Hale Library's Hemisphere Room. Panelists will include Ireton, K-State Libraries; Lucas Loughmiller, USD 383; Philip Nel and Joe Sutliff Sanders, department of English; and Susan Withee, Manhattan Public Library.

A recently popular film based on one of the top 10 most banned or challenged books of 2011 will be shown from 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, in the Manhattan Public Library Auditorium. The movie is rated PG-13, children under 13 must have an accompanying adult. Attendees are welcome to stay afterward for a discussion of the film and banned books.

More information about Banned Books can be found at the American Library Association website. For further information about any of the events on- or off-campus, contact Ireton.