This post is part of a series for Banned Books Week 2013 and some information may be outdated. Questions? Please reach out to us online or at the Information Desk.
Photo description (above): Cynthia Mari Orozco, Librarian-in-Residence (who, alas, has moved on to a new exciting opportunity at CSULB. But she’s the heart and soul of Banned Books Week, so we have to include her in absentia!)
What is your favorite Banned Book?
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak.
Why is Banned Books Week important to you?
We need to recognize that censorship or attempts at censorship continue to happen today. Free access to information is the foundation of our society and at the forefront of the Library Bill of Rights. Banning books severely limits freedom and promotes ignorance.
Looking over the American Library Association’s lists of banned and challenged books, which have you found to be the most surprising and why?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. If you honestly think that teenagers aren’t already exposed to vulgar language or thinking about sex, then you are delusional.
Melanie Hubbard, Archives and Special Collections Library Assistant Extraordinaire
What is your favorite Banned Book?
I am fairly certain that any book of any worth has been banned at one point or another. Of course, books like Twilight have also been banned so I am not sure where I am going with that.
Why is Banned Books Week important to you?
It screams, “In your face, Puritans!”
Which banned books have you found to be the most surprising and why?
Nothing surprises me. Next to baseball, feigned outrage is America’s favorite pastime.
Janelle Crowther, Information Commons Student Assistant
What is your favorite Banned Book?
Bridge to Terabithia and House on Mango Street
Why is Banned Books Week important to you?
I believe we need to open our eyes to world around us and not subject ourselves to one area of life. Banned Books remind me of a horse with blinders. There is new knowledge around us and banning the books will stunt the growth of young minds all over the world.
Which banned books have you found to be the most surprising and why?
I found The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Where the Wild Things Are very surprising. I did not expect to see those on the list. Huck Finn is a classic and sure, it contains slavery but slavery did happen. We can’t be oblivious to it. A smart man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Therefore, we need to understand what happened in the past, so as to not make the same mistakes again. Also, Where the Wild Things Are is a children’s fictional book about angst, a grumpy boy, and his imagination. Nothing harmful there!