Banned Books Week at Gardner-Webb

Photo by: Krissy Helms

By: Travis Archie

To Kill a Mockingbird, The Giver, Lord of The Rings, The Harry Potter series, and The Hunger Game Trilogy; all of these books have something in common, they are banned.

Even in the 21st century, books are still being banned because their content is deemed inappropriate for certain age groups. Banned books week began in 1982 by library activist Judith King.

The movement is supported by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association , American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression Association, American Society of Journalist and Authors, National Association of College Stores and The Center for the Book by The Library of Congress.

“For a book to be labeled ‘banned,’ the book usually contains sex, religion and violence,” Dr. Shea Stuart said.

Stuart is a professor of English at Gardner Webb, who is supervising the banned books week, September 22 through September 26, along with Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honors Society.

Banned books reading on the quad has expanded to a full week rather than last year’s day event.

“There will be a display in the library, a movie night and Reading on the Quad,” said Stuart. Wednesday, September 24 at 8 p.m. there will be an Open Mic session at the Broad River Coffee Shop and students are encouraged to read a banned poem or a passage from a banned book.

Thursday, September 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be Reading on The Quad. At 7 p.m. on Friday, September 26, banned books week will conclude with a movie, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, in Stewart Hall of the Tucker Student Center.

Stuart said popcorn will be provided but you have to bring your own wand.

What Stuart hopes students will take away from this week is for people to know that the banning of books still happen and for people to think for themselves.