Skyline College faculty and students attended a banned books reading event that highlights the common issues related to freedom of expression on Sept. 25 in the Skyline College Library. 

The attendees settled down into a circle of chairs and shared their favorite excerpts from formerly banned books, led by Skyline College Librarian Pia Walawalkar and English teacher Rob Williams.

Some of the books included were “Lolita,” “The Dark Side of My Skin,” and “The Perks of Being A Wallflower.” These books were banned or challenged at one point because of the material they featured, such as suicide, extreme violence and lack of morality. 

However,  books have been most commonly banned in 2024 for their incorporation  of LGBTQ+ material. The Washington Post states that nearly half of the books banned in the United States feature LGBTQ+ material. 

While hundreds of books are banned every year in different states, a majority of Americans oppose book banning. According to the American Library Association, 71% of people do not approve of book banning in public libraries. 

States such as Texas and Florida have the highest number of banned books, compared to Nevada which has the lowest, according to the American Library Association.

In the United States, citizens are backed up by the First Amendment to write or say their opinion on any subject they would like. Many of the books featured in the reading were written by international authors, which brought up the fact that a United States citizen does not have a clue just how powerful government censorship could be if the First Amendment did not exist.

“We also bring a global perspective to it,” said Walawalkar. “The way people look at just freedoms, and freedom to be, and freedom to read or express is different in different parts of the world.”

Many international authors that were brought up for discussion had been the victims of harassment, assault, and in some cases, assassination attempts. 

It’s important for students and faculty to be reminded that nothing should be taken for granted, and that people do not realize how much they will miss something until it’s ripped from their hands. 

LGBTQ+ material has been on a significant rise over the past couple of years, due to new discussions about gender ideology and what it means to be comfortable in your own shell, but it has also been one of the biggest reasons a book is banned from a school or challenged. 

Like many of the books that were banned in the past, the issues were not usually talked about until they made their appearance in a form of mass media, such as in books. 

“A lot of the time, the issues that are being banned end up being discussed in the books,” Williams said. “It also opens the door to talk about other issues right like human rights issues, you know, censoring not just books but whole curriculums.”

Healthy, constant dialogue between sectors is needed if there is going to be any form of understanding. And there needs to be requirements when entering a discussion about divisive topics.

“Being open, having integrity, and compassion is important when speaking with the other side,” said SSF library volunteer Michelle Morales. 

The great thing is these discussions can happen anywhere, be set up by anyone, and are welcome to everyone. 

Since 1982, Banned Books Week has been the catalyst for further discussion on the dangers of silencing someone’s opinion, and serves as a reminder to all that every book is valuable to at least one set of  eyes and the mind connected to them.