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Banned Books

A source of information about books that have been banned or challenged throughout the United States.

Banned Books Week 2024

Join the SJSU King Library, SJSU’s School of Information, SJSU’s Department of African American Studies, SJSU’s Department of English & Comparative Literature, SJSU’s Department of Humanities & the Arts, SJSU's Pride Center, the San José Public Library, and The Culture Work of Poetry in celebrating Banned Books Week with a week's worth of events highlighting our right to read freely.

“I’m with the Banned”: Poetic Justice with Aideed Medina

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Location: King Library, 2nd Floor, Room 225 (Online & In person)

Pushcart Prize nominated poet, award-winning spoken word artist and playwright Aideed Medina brings awareness to past and present day oppression through the suppression of words from marginalized communities through spoken word.

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Presenter:

 

Aideed Medina is a Pushcart Prize nominated poet, award winning spoken word artist and a playwright. She is a California Naturalist and practices "flor y canto" as part of her poetic process and exploration of California's natural history. Her work has appeared in Fresno State's Club Austral Literary Magazine, Chicano Writers and Artists Association Journal, La Bloga, Poets Responding, Art of the Commune, Split This Rock, Nueva York Poetry Review, Di-Liio Revista Literaria, Artivista Anthology, as part of a collection of original art songs composed for The Opera Remix, Fresno Grand Opera, and co-writer of Eclectic Collective plays: Encounter Intuitive and Artista Invisible. Aideed Medina is the author of Segmented Bodies (Prickly Pear Press) and 31 Hummingbird (Xingao).

Stitched Truth with Khristel Johnson

Time: 11:30am-1:30pm

Location: King Library, 2nd Floor, Room 225 (Online & In person)

Join educator and quiltmaker Khristel Johnson for an engaging dialogue about how censorship through book bans has created a gap of misunderstanding about the true African American experience. View the thought provoking uniquely designed quilted wall tapestries and have a conversation about the importance of historical truths.

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Presenter:

A person standing in front of a quiltDescription automatically generatedKhristel Johnson is a former educator with 30 years of experience. She embarked on a mission to further her quest to inform, inspire, and engage others in dialogue about the African American experience - in the hope of empowering others and bridging the gap of misunderstanding one person at a time. Utilizing authentic African fabrics and beads  Johnson began experimenting with colors and designs meant to be visually inviting.  She used her quilts to acquire knowledge and the integration of three-dimensional handmade art furthered this objective, resulting in a collection of 60 quilts.

 

 

 

Defend the Right to Read: A Virtual Reality Journey Against Censorship

Time: 2:30pm-3:30pm

Location: Online

Join us for an immersive experience in the fight against censorship! In collaboration with the SJSU School of Information, Unite Against Book Bans, Little Free Library, and Book Unbanned, we invite you to explore our Virtual Reality environment crafted to engage, educate, and empower the public in the stand against book bans. Discover five unique spaces dedicated to community engagement, promoting democratic values, celebrating cultural diversity, and advocating for educational equity and intellectual freedom. Learn how you can help protect access to challenged, restricted, or banned books. Together, we can champion intellectual freedom and the right to read! Link to VR: Freedom to Read

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Presenters: 

Dr. Anthony Chow is the Director of the School of Information at San José State University. With over 20 years of experience in higher education and information science, Dr. Chow specializes in leadership, digital literacy, and emerging technologies in libraries. His research focuses on the intersection of technology and education, particularly in creating equitable access to information and fostering digital inclusion. As an advocate for innovation, Dr. Chow is dedicated to preparing the next generation of information professionals for the evolving landscape of the digital age.

 

 

 

Alfredo Alcantar, is the Lab Manager at SJSUs School of Information’s  Library Technology Integration (LTI) Lab. With a strong background in project management and a passion for emerging technologies, Alfredo is committed to bridging digital literacy and making the LTI Lab a central hub for innovative learning and collaboration. He has extensive experience in online learning environments and LMS administration, consistently staying at the forefront of technological advancements in education. Alfredo is dedicated to enhancing digital experiences through VR, AR, and other cutting-edge technologies, fostering an inclusive and forward-thinking community within the library and information science fields.

 

 

Kelly Rausch, a graduate student in Library and Information Sciences at San José State University, leads innovative virtual reality initiatives that showcase compelling narratives. With a diverse background spanning technology, education, and media, Kelly has served as an Instructional Library Technician near Yosemite National Park, an Emmy-nominated documentary/reality TV producer, and a reporter covering the Sierra region. This unique blend of experiences fuels her passion for creating immersive VR content that both educates and inspires.

 

 

John MacLeod is the executive director of XRLibraries, a leading company integrating XR technology in libraries. Over the last four years he has worked with state and local libraries to implement strategies for deploying augmented, virtual and 360 vr technology and programs. Over 200 VR systems have been installed in underserved libraries in California and Nevada, making this the largest VR installation in public libraries. He is a partner in Nevada Project SANDI providing Nevada the first-in-the-world career pathways training using  virtual reality. He continues to build a national clearinghouse for libraries to share best practices in the use of XR technologies in libraries.

 

 

Tim Bartolf, a key figure at XR Libraries, leads groundbreaking efforts in the integration of immersive technologies within library systems. With a strong background in virtual and augmented reality, Tim is dedicated to revolutionizing how libraries engage with their communities through cutting-edge digital experiences. His expertise in both technology and education drives his commitment to enhancing access to information, fostering learning, and creating engaging XR environments that empower users of all ages.

 

 

Chase Allgood, started the MLIS program in the Spring of 2022 and graduated in the Fall of 2023. He received his BA in Creative Writing from Pacific University, where he got his start in technology support working at the University Technology Information Center. Before attending SJSU, he worked as a Photojournalist, Editor, and Digital Asset Manager for various newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, he has managed an E-Sports center and an art documentation and metadata business. All of this data-driven work led him to pursue an MLIS degree and to join the Library Technology Integration Lab in the fall of 2023. Passionate about expanding access to technology and the necessary knowledge to leverage it, he looks forward to expanding his skill set and working to support efforts in that direction. Chase fills his spare time with photography, writing, education support, and nonprofit art gallery administration.

 

 

Cindy Hohl, MBA/MLIS, is a member of the Santee Sioux Nation and works as the director of policy analysis and operational support at the Kansas City Public Library. She is a past president of the American Indian Library Association (AILA) and works with librarians to share information across the globe as a member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Indigenous Matters Section and in her work as Co-Chair on the Tribal Library Council for the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM). With a passion for upholding Intellectual Freedom, Cindy serves as an ex-officio trustee on the executive board of the Freedom to Read Foundation and as a member of the Missouri Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee. As a proud ALA Spectrum Scholar, she strives to increase diversity in the library field through mentorship, recruitment, and advocacy. Cindy is also the 2024-25 President of the American Library Association and the first Spectrum Scholar to be elected to the role. Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Friends University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Baker University and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Wayne State University.

 

 

Nick Higgins is the Chief Librarian of Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), leading the development of library services and spaces for Brooklynites at 62 libraries across the borough. Nick helped create BPL's first Outreach Services office, and as its director oversaw a suite of unique programs for older adults, individuals and families impacted by the justice system, immigrants, and people experiencing homelessness. Nick began his career in 2006 at BPL as a librarian trainee and worked in several branches and departments, and also held the position of Jail and Prison Librarian at NYPL, creating library services on Rikers Island, and in State and Federal Prisons. In 2017 Nick was named “Mover and Shaker” by Library Journal for launching a citywide library-based video visiting service for kids with parents who were incarcerated. Nick and his team were recently recognized as "Librarian of the Year" from Library Journal for their work on Books Unbanned, a freedom to read initiative that provides free access to BPL's entire digital library collection for teens anywhere in the US facing book bans. Nick received an MLIS from the Pratt Institute and a BA in British Literature from Hunter College.

Words Matter Zine Workshop

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Location: King Library, 2nd Floor, Room 225 (In person)

Originally arising in response to governmental censorship in 2018, Words Matter is an ongoing series of installations and workshops by Fashioning Circuits that explores the many ways that words themselves matter in our social worlds. In this Words Matter Zine Workshop, we'll briefly discuss the various ways in which language can be censored or prohibited and the history of zines as a form of political communication. Participants will then choose a word that is meaningful to them, investigate its history, and create a zine page reflecting on the word's meaning. All of the pages will be assembled into a zine for participants to take with them. For more information on previous Words Matter projects, visit https://fashioningcircuits.com/?cat=633.

Presenters: 

 

Kim Brillante Knight is an associate professor of Digital Humanities at San José State University. She is the co-founder and ongoing project director of Fashioning Circuits, a public Humanities project centered on craft, technology, and collectivity in research, teaching, and community partnerships. Her book Fashioning Makers: Critical Making and Public Humanities is under contract with University of Iowa Press.

 

  • Brook McClurg is assistant professor of nonfiction in the English and Comparative Literature Department at San José State University and editor in chief for Reed Magazine, California’s oldest literary journal. A Fulbright research fellow, his nonfiction, fiction, poetry and translation work have appeared in many literary journals. His essay “Geometry of Absence” was listed as a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2021. His first book, A Dictionary of Modern Consternation, won the Permafrost Prize in Nonfiction and was published in July of 2024 by The University of Alaska Press.

 

 

Paint a Little Banned Library

Time: 3:00pm-6:00pm

Location: King Library, 1st Floor Mezzanine, Teen HQ (In person)

We invite you to help us design and paint a little banned library that will be stocked with banned books for public display and enjoyment. Grab a paintbrush and spread some color across an unfinished little library in celebration of Banned Book Week 2024.

Stamped: Truth Behind Banned Pages

Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm

Location: King Library, 2nd Floor, Room 225 (In person)

Join us for a powerful viewing of the Netflix documentary Stamped, based on Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s best-selling banned book Stamped From the Beginning to life, using vivid animations and leading female scholars to explore the history of anti-Black racist ideas. Accompanied by a thought provoking conversation with Carmen Estela Kennedy Saleh about the ongoing struggle against censorship and the suppression of diverse voices.

Presenter: 

Carmen Estela Kennedy Saleh  is a writer and a perennial learner, so you can find her rooted in discussions with bright students as easily as you can find her planted behind a good book. In fact, she says she sees her name on a few of these and has sown seeds of her work in the Themis and Acacia journals, respectively; proudly reaped a James D. Phelan Literary Award; a Solas Award in the Category of Culture and Ideas; and in 2023, she debuted "A Love Letter" which was honored by Small Press Distribution as a bestseller in May and June of that same year.

Black & Banned: A Lecture & Dialogue with Keenan Norris

Time: 3:00-4:00pm

Location: King Library, 2nd Floor, Room 225 (Online & In person)

Join Keenan Norris, PhD for an overview of American antebellum and WWII-era suppression of Black literature (Phyllis Wheatley, Richard Wright, Chester Himes), this presentation will visit the African American Policy Forum's data on current book bans. Actively engaging the audience, this presentation will examine the supremacist and imperialist logics that commonly undergird book bans.

Keenan Norris's Slides

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Keenan Norris’s latest book is Chi Boy: Native Sons and Chicago Reckonings. Keenan’s novel The Confession of Copeland Cane won the 2022 Northern California Book Award and his essays have received the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award and Folio: Eddie Award. Keenan teaches at San José State University.

Be Gay, Do Comics

Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm

Location: King Library, 2nd Floor, Room 225 (Online & In person)

According to PEN America, over a quarter of all banned books from 2021-2023 featured LGBTQIA2S+ characters and themes. In this roundtable discussion, SJSU comics scholars, educators, and creators will discuss how comics have been affected by this trans- and homophobic censorship. Join us as we discuss the harmful effects of book bans, the power of queer comics, and how we can all “Be Gay, Do Comics” and resist censorship in our own lives!

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Slide Presentation 

Presenters:

Dr. Maite Urcaregui is an Assistant Professor of Latinx and multiethnic American literature in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University. Much of her research and teaching focus on comics, particularly how authors and artists use them to explore identity and pressing political issues.

 

 

Daniel Lanza Rivers is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Literature at SJSU, where they teach courses in environmental humanities, cultural studies, and queer literature. A 2024 Lambda Literary Fellow in Creative Nonfiction, Daniel's writing has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, Terrain.org, American Quarterly, and, most recently, the collection Writing the Golden State (Angel City Press, 2024).

 

 

Kay Liou is an instructor at SJSU who is interested in digital literacy.

Dante Castañeda

 

 

Be Gay, Do Comics - The Remix

Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm

Location: King Library, 1st Floor Mezzanine, Teen HQ (Online & In person)

Join us for an abbreviated roundtable discussion, SJSU comics scholars, educators, and creators will discuss how comics have been affected by this trans- and homophobic censorship. Join us as we discuss the harmful effects of book bans, the power of queer comics, and how we can all “Be Gay, Do Comics” and resist censorship in our own lives!

 

Presenter:

 

Dr. Maite Urcaregui is an Assistant Professor of Latinx and multiethnic American literature in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University. Much of her research and teaching focus on comics, particularly how authors and artists use them to explore identity and pressing political issues.

 

Artificially Censored

Time: 2:00pm-4:00pm

Location: King Library, 1st Floor, Room 113 (DHC) (Online & In person) 

Join us as we highlight the intersection between technology, censorship, and the freedom of information. Legislation that bans whole categories of books has libraries looking for solutions, and some have even started using AI tools to try to comply with increasingly aggressive censorship. This program will explore inherent algorithmic bias in AI models, and the dangers of relying on AI to make decisions and restrict the freedom to read.

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Slide Presentation 

Presenters: 

Sharesly Rodriguez is the User Experience Librarian at San José State University, where she also received her Master of Library and Information Science degree. Sharesly utilizes user research and UX design methods to understand users’ needs and improve online and physical library spaces. She currently oversees the library’s chatbot services and is interested in exploring the impact and the user experience of artificial intelligence.

 

 

Nick Szydlowski is the Digital Scholarship Librarian at SJSU's Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. In addition to supporting digital scholarship across the SJSU campus, his published research addresses issues of social justice and intellectual freedom in libraries, and his newest article "Everyone’s Culture is for the Children: Encountering and Contextualizing the Rhetorical Strategies of Book Banners" will be available soon in the journal Research on Diversity in Youth Literature.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Stitched Truth with Khristel Johnson - Virtual

Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm

Location: Virtual

Join educator and quiltmaker Khristel Johnson for an engaging dialogue about how censorship through book bans has created a gap of misunderstanding about the true African American experience. View the thought provoking uniquely designed quilted wall tapestries and have a conversation about the importance of historical truths.

Paint a Little Banned Library

Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm

Location: Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Branch, Teen Room

We invite you to help us design and paint a little banned library that will be stocked with banned books focused on banned LGBTQ titles for public display and enjoyment. Join us on Monday, September 23, 2024, grab a paintbrush and spread some color across an unfinished little library in celebration of Banned Book Week 2024. No artistic skill required and all materials will be provided.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Words Matter Zine Workshop

Time: 4:00pm-5:30pm

Location: Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock Branch

Originally arising in response to governmental censorship in 2018, Words Matter is an ongoing series of installations and workshops by Fashioning Circuits that explores the many ways that words themselves matter in our social worlds. In this Words Matter Zine Workshop, we'll briefly discuss the various ways in which language can be censored or prohibited. Participants will then choose a word that is meaningful to them, investigate its history, and create a zine page reflecting on the word's meaning. All of the pages will be assembled into a zine for participants to take with them. For more information on previous Words Matter projects, visit https://fashioningcircuits.com/?cat=633.