Turning the page on censorship: The Curators launch their banned books display
Riley King - Contributing Writer
“The Curators” debuted their banned books display in Hewes Library to kick-off the week-long interactive display. Teamed together in their Organizational Communication class, Addie Smith, Anne Schmidt, Ruby Poffinbarger, and Dawsyn Wilson wanted to engage with the Monmouth community.
“Our goal was to educate the community on censorship,” said group member Dawsyn Wilson.
They kicked off the evening with a presentation on the importance of keeping books accessible. Banned books are those that have been restricted—usually by law—because of their content. The group expressed their strong feelings that everyone should have the power to read all books.
“The Curators” highlighted that many banned books feature themes that include LGBTQ+ content, sexual content, violence, or offensive language. These books are often taken off the shelves with the thought that they are too inappropriate and protecting younger readers.
“Society tries so hard to keep the norms the way they are,” said Addie Smith. “But our generation is so great because we speak up for each other.”
Following the presentation, attendees were invited to look through the banned book display. The display features books like “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson and “Looking for Alaska” by John Green. The display showcased facts about censorship and the reason some of the books were banned.