Banned Books Week Vigil – Closing Books Closes Possibilities!

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UT will celebrate the American Library Association Banned Books Week with a the 12th Annual Banned Books Week Vigil on Thursday, October 1st on the 2nd Floor of Sullivan Hall.  This day-long event will feature speakers from all over campus giving short, 20 minutes talks about topics relating to censorship and the freedom to read.  Door prizes will be given throughout the day.

The schedule of speakers for the day is:

  • 9 a.m.
    Welcome by Dr. Marcia Suter, University Libraries
    “Speech, Reading, and the Banning of Thoughts” – Dr. Jim Benjamin, Communication Dept.
  • 9:30  a.m.
    “Radical Islamists and Fear of Radical Islamists – Both are Significant Threats to Free Speech”, Dr. Douglas Oliver, Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering Dept.
  • 10 a.m.
    “When Censorship Goes Soft:  The Case of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn & the Publication of ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich'”, Dr. Larry Connin, Honors Program
  • 10:30 a.m.
    “We Are Strangers”, Mr. Warren Woodbury, Toledo author
  • 11  a.m.
    “1984:  From Orwell to Amazon”, Dr. Paul Many, Communication Dept.
  • 11:30 a.m.
    Dr. K & The IC Players [Dr. Paulette Kilmer, Communication Dept., and journalism students]
  • 12 noon
    Keynote Speaker: “Book Burning in Nazi Germany”, Dr. Larry Wilcox, History Dept.
  • 1 p.m.
    “Censorship, Dissent & Etiquette”, Dr. Ben Pryor, Philosophy Dept.
  • 1:30  p.m.
    “Remembering Judith Krug:  Librarian & Founder of Banned Books Week”, Ms. Elaine Reeves, University Libraries
  • 2 p.m.
    “Indecency in Broadcasting:  Why Bother?” Dr. David Tucker, Communication Dept.
  • 2:30  p.m.
    “The Politics of Bad Ideas”, Dr. Carter Wilson, Political Science Dept.
  • 3 p.m.
    Jeopardy with Mr. Brian Hickam & Ms. Elaine Reeves, both University Libraries.
  • 3:30  p.m.
    “Censoring Bob Dylan in the Sixties”, Dr. Tom Barden, Honors Program
  • 4 p.m.
    “Feminism Does Not Equal Censorship:  Toward a Feminist Politics of Representation”, Dr. Renee Heberle, Political Science Dept.
  • 4:30 p.m.
    “Homosexuality in Children’s Books”, Dr. Sharon Barnes, Interdisciplinary Studies & Special Programs
  • 5 p.m.
    “The Story of Giles Corey”, an original poem by Dr. Glen Sheldon, Interdisciplinary Studies & Special Programs

This event received the financial support of the UT Communication Department, with food and door prizes sponsored by Barry’s Bagels, Curb’s Candles, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, People Called Women, the Westgate Rite Aid Pharmacy, The Toledo Free Press, UT Business Technology, UT Career Services, UT Bookstore, UT- MCO Credit Union, UT Starbucks, Glacity Theater Collective and UT Theatre Department.

9 thoughts on “Banned Books Week Vigil – Closing Books Closes Possibilities!”

  1. Will you provide any balance whatsoever? No books have been banned in the USA for about a half a century. See “National Hogwash Week.”

    Also see “US Libraries Hit Back Over Challenges to Kids Books,” by Sara Hussein, Agence France-Presse [AFP], 6 September 2009.

    Given “American Library Association Shamed,” by Nat Hentoff, Laurel Leader-Call, 2 March 2007, I ask anyone reading this to explain why the ALA views book burnings, bannings, and jailed librarians in Cuba as NOT censorship, and why people legally keeping children from inappropriate material IS censorship.

    Why does the ALA not only refuse to assist jailed Cuban librarians, but go further and actually thwart efforts by others to assist them? Why should members of the public consider the ALA to be authoritative on the definition of what is censorship in local public libraries?

    Indeed, why should local libraries care one whit about an organization actively blocking efforts to assist jailed and beaten Cuban librarians and associated censorship and book burnings?

  2. Thank you so much for helping us publicize our event. It takes a community effort to keep our right to read and think freely alive. The battle for the First Amendment is never won. Take care,

    Dr. K

  3. Any upcoming events? Anyone ever read “Fungus the Bogeyman” by Raymond Briggs? I believe it was banned by most libraries.

  5. Is this event Thursday or Friday? Thursday is September 30th but the blog has the event date as Thursday, October 1st.

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