Just sayin', even the USC Upstate Library's favorite friendly fowl, image-maker, bon vivant, international bird of mystery, and goose-about-campus, reads banned books ... #BannedBooksWeek
During the week of September 22 through 28, the USC Upstate Library invites you to commemorate Banned Books Week 2024. This year's theme is "Freed Between the Lines."
According to the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) of the American Library Association (ALA), in 2023, there were 1,247 efforts to censor books and other resources in libraries--an increase of 65% over 2022. Many of these efforts attempted to challenge, censor, and ban multiple books simultaneously. Thus, in total, some 4,240 unique book titles were targeted.
So far, in 2024, between January 1 and August 31, the OIF tracked 414 attempts to censor library materials and services, targeting 1,128 unique titles. While this number is lower than the data reported for 2023, it still represents an overall increase of challenges and bans since 2020.
Many challenged, censored, and banned books feature Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Other (LGBTQIA+) and/or Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) content. Nevertheless, challenges to the freedom to read affect all of us. It stands to reason that if censorship is successful against one book, topic, or population group, then efforts to censor have the potential to be successful against others.
There are simple and multiple ways to protect the freedom to read. The American Library Association suggests the following:
Stay Informed. This week, the American Library Association will offer a number of free programs about censorship, book bans and challenges, and the freedom to read. Register and attend.
Report challenges. If you hear of a challenge at your local library, support library employees and free and open access to library materials by reporting it to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. The OIF estimates that it learns about less than 20% of book challenges. Don't assume that others know and will take action.
Write a letter to a favorite banned or challenged author.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in support of libraries and the freedom to read.
Spread the word by using the hashtag #BannedBooksWeek on social media.
Talk to your friends and family about why everyone should be allowed to choose what they read.
Check out a banned book. Use the USC Upstate Library search box to find books that you can check out and read.
The USC Upstate Library invites all faculty and staff to an open house on Thursday, September 19, 2024 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. near the Library Cafe (PerkUp). Enjoy refreshments and enter a drawing for PerkUp coupons, while discovering Upstate Library services:
Walt's Waltz and the USC Upstate Library are excited to present a painting and mental health workshop for Upstate students.
The workshop will be offered on both Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12, in the library's PerkUp cafe area, located on the 1st floor. The workshops will be held from 12:45 to 1:45 pm each day.
No reservations are required. Attendance is “first-come, first-served.”
Join us in painting the Walt's Waltz mascot and discussing mental health issues. Walt's Waltz is a Greenville, S.C.-based organization dedicated to revolutionizing the way mental health is viewed and treated. This grassroots organization is dedicated to a 3-step action plan in discussing and addressing mental health: education, equity, and stigma-free.
Walt's Waltz is named in memory of Walt Crooks. The organization aims to broaden Walt's mission to reduce suffering in our world; share his teachings on compassion, humility, courage, empathy, and fair-mindedness; stand up for those without a voice; and help those in need.
Find more resources that support student mental health and well-being by visiting the library's Wellness Resource Guide. In addition to providing information on depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, self-care, and how they affect different populations, the guide highlights books in the library's Wellness Collection. These books are located in a special display area of the 1st floor stacks (near Room 118) and are available for checkout by the USC Upstate community. All check-outs are confidential.
Throughout the month of September, the USC Upstate Display Committee will have a display that will focus on different campus majors. As students are back on campus, they are currently either choosing majors, changing majors, or learning more of their majors. Our library has a very impressive number of materials about the different majors available at USC Upstate. This committee wanted to highlight these valuable resources for any student with this display. We could not highlight every campus major on one single display but tried to represent all the majors we could on it. All the material currently on the display is available for checkout. We are hoping that all students will see these materials and decorations and feel intrigued to learn more about these different subjects. This display will be here throughout September and then we will be preparing for our Halloween display. We are looking forward to everyone seeing this one soon.