Penn State Scranton hosting Banned Books Read Out

Banned Book committee

Planners of Penn State Scranton’s Banned Books Read Out on Sept. 25 show some of the popular books that have been banned in some places. From left: James Hart, lecturer in communication arts & sciences/internship coordinator, corporate communication; Paul Perrone, assistant teaching professor in English; Caressa Olivio, advising center manager; Kristin E.C. Green, reference and instruction librarian; Kelley Wagers, associate professor of English; Kara Stone, assistant teaching professor in English; Eva Tettenborn, associate professor of English; Josh McAuliffe, adjunct instructor in English.

Credit: Penn State

DUNMORE, Pa. — Penn State Scranton will host its first-ever Banned Books Read Out on Tuesday, Sept. 25 as a way of celebrating Banned Books Week 2018 and honoring the American Library Association’s commitment to intellectual freedom.

Banned Books Week is an annual event during which libraries around the country host events drawing attention to the ever-present attempts to remove content from library shelves and erode intellectual freedom.

At 12:15 p.m. on Sept. 25, the Penn State Scranton Library will feature members of the campus community reading excerpts from books that have been threatened for removal, and in some cases actually removed, from libraries across the nation, said Kristin E.C. Green, reference and instruction librarian at Penn State Scranton.

Participants will also get to enjoy games, refreshments and giveaways.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Student Activities Fee Committee and the Office of Academic Affairs.

Students, staff and faculty who would like to read at this event are asked to sign up at:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jHyMPPPjDc-EUWxYWOM1UlUNlfEgw99Eb7RaGvkH2js/edit?usp=sharing

For those signing up, please keep the following in mind:

  • You will need to indicate your name, email address, what book you would like to read from, and your availability.  If the book you would like to read from has already been chosen, you will be asked to select a different title that is not represented.
  • Additionally, please send a related image that will be displayed while you are reading your excerpt. This image can be cover art from the book, a painting depicting a scene from the book, etc. Just please adhere to copyright law when selecting your image (if you have any questions, please ask).
  • The amount of time you will read will depend on how many readers sign-up. Anticipate a range of somewhere from three to six minutes.
  • You are required to bring the book you are reading from to the event. If you need help getting a copy from our collections, let the library staff know.

*You have until the end of the day Thursday, Sept. 13, to sign up. 

 If you would like to look at some frequently challenged titles please visit:  http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks. The following lists are available: