Letting freedom read with banned books

MSU's Renne Library collaborated with the second-hand bookstore Isle of Books Oct. 1-7 in support of the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual Banned Books Week. By advocating against censorship with community activities and outreach, the library continues its third-year tradition of distributing banned books, according to event head Star Bradley, a research & instruction librarian.

Renne Library, located at the heart of campus, has been pivotal to MSU students’ educational journey since its inception in 1949, according to the MSU website. Named in honor of Roland Renne, MSU's sixth president (1943-64), the building underwent a significant expansion in 1961, allowing for the inclusion of over half a million volumes, according to the MSU website. 

For over four decades, the Banned Books Week has mobilized a diverse group nationally, including “librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, writers and journalists,” according to the ALA’s  Office of Intellectual Freedom webpage.

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom director, said, “This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.”

"I feel very passionately that everybody should be able to read what they want to read,” Bradley said.

This year’s theme for Banned Books Week is “Let Freedom Read.” Through that theme, the ALA aims to unleash the power that lies inside every book according to the ALA’s website

This past Monday, Bradley and her team oversaw the first event that week, a banned book giveaway, which took place outside the library’s main entrance. 

“‘We are giving away books to encourage the free exchange of ideas. This is an important part of a democracy as it helps assure citizens are informed, engaged and feel like their perspectives matter,” Bradley said.  “We want to provide what you maybe won't be seeing everywhere like Barnes and Noble.’”

Bradley also highlighted her belief regarding perspective. “People see themselves when they read, so it's very important to me that students are able to read different perspectives and see themselves in those perspectives,” she said.

Thanks to support from Isle of Books and friends of MSU Library,  Bradley and her team amassed 662 books for the event, featuring the ALA's 2022 list of the 13 most challenged titles. The top three include "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, "All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto" by George M. Johnson and "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison. By the end of the event day, all 662 books had found new readers.

MSU student Ro Szalay, an anthropology major and library employee, attended the event.  “Banned Book week is my favorite week at the library, I feel like it should be a permanent display. It's so important especially with all the book bans and challenges in states like Florida and Texas. They're gutting the education system,” Szalay said.

Emmalee Lester, an undergrad studying psychology, said, “I think banned book week shows exactly what we need to read. If we think something needs to be censored then it needs to be seen.”

According to the MSU Library webpage, on Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m., the MSU Library, in partnership with The Bozeman Public Library and friends of MSU Library, will host “Can I Read This?” This will be a public reading of challenged books. The event will be located at Isle of Books, 511 W. Mendenhall St., rounding off MSU's Banned Books Week events.