OHIO Zanesville to host Banned Book Caf茅 in celebration of Banned Books Week

The Rising Educators of 花季传媒 Zanesville, in partnership with the Muskingum County Library System, will present a Banned Book Caf茅 on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Zanesville Campus Library.

The event is in conjunction with the American Library Association鈥檚 nationwide , which will take place Oct. 5 through 11. The initiative encourages conversations about censorship and the freedom to read. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淐ensorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.鈥� The tagline is a nod to George Orwell鈥檚 classic novel that continues to resonate in today鈥檚 discussions about intellectual freedom.

Jennifer Lisy, assistant professor of instruction in education at OHIO Zanesville, noted the urgency of the issue.

鈥淪chools and libraries across the country are being inundated with requests to ban books. 2024 saw the highest numbers of challenges to books ever,鈥� she said.

One of the highlights of the event will be a banned book tasting. During this activity, attendees will browse a variety of titles that have been banned or challenged, take notes on their impressions, and then share their reflections in group discussion. Selections will include well-known works such as 鈥淗atchet,鈥� by Gary Paulsen and 鈥淟ittle House on the Prairie,鈥� by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Past events have shown just how surprising some bans can be. Lisy recalled how participants were shocked to learn that 鈥淏rown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?鈥� by Bill Martin Jr. had once been banned.

鈥淚t was banned by the Texas Board of Education because another Bill Martin, with no junior, wrote a book called 鈥楨thical Marxism: The Categorial Imperative of Liberation.鈥� Since they banned 鈥楨thical Marxism,鈥� they decided to ban all Bill Martin books, and 鈥楤rown Bear鈥� was included in that list because they didn鈥檛 realize it was written by another person,鈥� she explained.

Other widely loved books, such as Lois Lowry鈥檚 鈥淭he Giver,鈥� have also faced censorship.

鈥淧eople found beloved books and discovered that they had been banned. 鈥楾he Giver鈥� has been banned due to violence, sexual references to stirrings, occult themes, and being considered unsuited to the age group, but the people I spoke to at the event recalled it as a book that they enjoyed reading,鈥� Lisy said.

Haley Shaw, youth services manager for the Muskingum County Library System, emphasized the value of these conversations.

鈥淓vents like the Banned Books Caf茅 and celebrating Banned Books Week are great opportunities for us to engage in conversations about censorship and freedom of information,鈥� she said.

Lisy added that challenges come from across the political spectrum.

鈥淭hese bans can come from both sides, with some people trying to get Bible stories out of schools and others trying to block LGBTQ or content about Black experiences,鈥� she said.

Both the Muskingum County Library System and the Zanesville Campus Library are providing books and insights to enrich the experience for those who choose to attend.

For details about additional campus and community events, visit the . To learn more about OHIO Zanesville鈥檚 academic offerings, explore programs and degrees. To learn more about Banned Books Week nationwide, visit the .