During Banned Books Week (Sept 22-28), the Skyline Library celebrated and advocated for the “banned books” that have historically been and are still being censored in schools across America. A display of paper-covered banned books – decorated as if they were on fire! – greeted library patrons with a sense of high drama and alarm. A public white-board chart allowed people to vote for which banned book titles they’d like to see added to the library’s collections. A well-attended Banned Books Reading event brought in many faculty and students to discuss the controversies surrounding the “hot” topic of banning books.

The Banned Books Reading (a collaborative event hosted by the Language Arts Department and the Library) took place on Wednesday, September 25, in the library lounge. Co-facilitated by English and Creative Writing Professor Rob Williams and Outreach and Equity Librarian Pia Walawalkar, the event brought together many voices from our college community in a safe environment to learn about and read from several banned books.

First, Dr. Walawalkar provided background information and a short history of the phenomenon of banned books and spoke about the general freedoms related to democracy and free speech. During this introduction, she said, “While we celebrate these freedoms, we want to remember that we should not take them for granted; they can be taken away from us at any time. We need to safeguard them, fight for them so that they stay with us, and support our friends worldwide in their fight.”

Prof Williams then shared some statistical data on Americans’ feelings about banning books. The evidence shows that most Americans don’t agree with book banning across several polls. An American Library Association survey of voters and public school parents found that 71% oppose removing books from public libraries, including a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
Following the event’s introduction, a lineup of faculty, staff, and students spoke up on the selected banned books they brought in to discuss. They read excerpts from those works and discussed the histories of their censorship. Some of the books that participants read from are as follows:
Mary Torres Volken (Librarian) read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (banned in several parts of the world because of its depiction of a pedophilic relationship.)
Luciana Castro (Spanish Professor) read Dark Side of Skin by Jeferson Tenório (banned in Brazil because a school principal believed its language inappropriate.)
Chris Gibson (Dean of Language Arts) read The Man Died by Wole Soyinka (banned for graphic depictions of sexual abuse and its political critique of the Nigerian government.)
Rachel Cunningham (Geography Professor) read Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (banned because of themes of sexuality, drug use, abuse, and suicide.)
Sebastian Torres (student) read Drama by Raina Telgemeier (banned due to topics around puberty.)
Prof Rob Williams read Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe (the number 1 banned book in the US for two years in a row, in part for challenging gender norms, language, and explicit content.) After reading, Prof Rob spoke to the group about the importance of this book and read a quote from the author who said, “If I had a book like this to read in middle school/junior high school, it would have probably taken ten years of confusion and uncertainty out of my life.”
Dr. Pia Walawalkar read The Alchemist (banned in Iran for the author’s criticism of authoritarian rule.)
To see a larger collection of banned book titles, please visit the library’s online digital book display. All are encouraged to read and stand up for books like these!

The event closed with a broader discussion of the importance of being an engaged citizen to safeguard democracy. Alvin Gubatina (Student Life and Leadership Manager), Prof Williams, and Dr Walawalkar co-facilitated a discussion that motivated students to discuss their concerns about upcoming elections, ballot initiatives, and voter turnout. Herbert Bonach (student), who comes to Skyline College from his home country, Brazil, spoke up about how voting affects our everyday lives here and abroad. He said, “Let’s vote for people who let us be free and be who we are! And vote for freedom of expression, human rights, and women’s rights.” Students were happy to stay well past the hour mark for the event, saying that they appreciated spaces like these to continue having conversations about Democracy and Civic Responsibility.

Alongside the Banned Books Display, Library Staff created an extensive exhibit of books and information about Voting Rights and Democracy. This exhibit coincides with Banned Book Week since freedom of speech and expression is so tightly woven into our constitutional rights to vote at the federal, state, and municipal levels of government. The Exhibit will stay in the Library Lobby until Election Day (Tuesday, November 5th).
Questions? Please reach out to:
Rob Williams williamsrob@smccd.edu
Pia Walawalkar walawalkars@smccd.edu
Article by Jenny Vega, Pia Walawalkar, and Rob Williams
Photos by Sherri Wyatt