A week-long event celebrating freedom of speech is planned at Southwestern College. “Banned Books Week” will be observed at the Deets Library beginning Monday, Sept. 28.

Many of the events are geared towards Southwestern College students, however there will be discussion about censorship in the Murray Reference Room of Deets Library on Friday, Oct. 2, from 3 to 5 p.m. The discussion will be moderated by Michelle Boucher, associate professor of English at Southwestern College.  There is no admission charge and the public is invited to attend.

As part of its Pillars Project, the college focuses each year on one of the virtues celebrated in its “Alma Mater” and represented by the Christy pillars of Knowledge, Hope, Courage, and Freedom.  

“We celebrate ‘Banned Books Week’ each year to remind everyone of our rights and responsibilities in a democracy,” says library director Dalene McDonald.  “This year, we are making a special effort to highlight ‘Banned Books Week’ to tie in with the college’s pillar project theme, which is Freedom.  Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and librarians take this responsibility seriously when creating collections and when responding to requests to remove books and other information from library shelves that some might find challenging to their belief systems.”

Other events during the week include a mock protest against censorship, a virtual readout of previously banned books, and a display in Deets Library, created by members of the SC English department’s Sigma Tau Delta, highlighting the history of censorship in regards to print media, cinema, and the internet. 

For more information about “Banned Books Week,” contact McDonald at (620) 229-6271.