On October 7, 2025, nearly 30 community members gathered at the Skyline College Library to celebrate Banned Books Week, an annual event honoring the freedom to read and think. This year’s theme, Censorship Is So 1984, is an invitation to reflect on how power, fear, and control shape access to knowledge.
Community members who attended Tuesday’s event first engaged with a profound, interactive exhibit on censorship. Designed and curated by Saúl Milan, the installation highlights the most frequently banned and challenged books in the United States, while also exploring the discomfort of surveillance. Placed throughout the library, the images of eyes evoke the constant monitoring of “Big Brother” and our society’s tendency to police ideas, identities, and information.
The event culminated in a thought-provoking discussion co-facilitated by Pia Walawalkar and Rob Williams. Participants were prompted to consider the book bans sweeping across the nation, as well as international examples, which led to a vibrant conversation on civil rights, intellectual freedom, and diverse interpretation.
While the motives for book bans may differ from nation to nation, the outcome remains the same: limited access to ideas and a diminished capacity for understanding. Bans and challenges in the United States most often target stories about marginalized communities and books with LGBTQIA+ content, discouraging the seeds of empathy and compassion. Amid censorship and the suppression of intellectual freedom, the determination to write, read, tell stories, and indulge curiosity is a powerful and courageous act of global resistance.
A special thank you to Harry Tun, Qian Zhao, Saúl Milan, Sherri Wyatt, Pia Walawalkar, and Rob Williams, whose dedication and hard work were essential to the success of Banned Books Week.
Missed Banned Books Week? Check out banned and challenged books available at the library.
Article by Majdolene Dajani
Photos by Harry Tun
