Relax to the strumming of strings as musician Minh Nguyen plays his guitar for the Music in the Library series! See you there!
Friday, Oct. 22, 2010
3:00-3:20 p.m.
Minh Nguyen, Junior, International Business major
Collins Memorial Library, Reading Room
![Banned_Books_sticker[1]](http://blogs.pugetsound.edu/librarynews/files/2010/10/Banned_Books_sticker1-150x150.jpg)
What do Harry Potter, To Kill a Mockingbird and Catch 22 all have in common? They’ve all been banned or challenged at one time!
Each fall, libraries across the country recognize the importance of the freedom to read by focusing on Banned Books. Throughout the country events are held during Banned Books week and throughout the month of October, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. There are hundreds of challenges to books in schools and libraries in the United States every year. According to the American Library Association, there were at least 460 in 2009; the ALA estimates that 70-80 % are never reported.
Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted banning of books across the United States. Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. This year’s theme is “Think for Yourself and Let Others Do the Same.”
These challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and they protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups–or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore contemporary issues and controversies to classic and beloved works of American literature.
Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned. All thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.
Be sure to check out the Banned Books Week display in Collins Library, by library staff Willow Berntsen and Carmel Thompson, and attend the Banned Books Tea: October 14 , 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the library link.
More Information:
Great blog about Banned Books Week
Frequently Challenged Books
Banned and Challenged Classics
Amnesty International USA
National Coalition against censorship
Bill & Vicky showcase book Art
Mark your calendars for the return of Bill & Vicky!
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, 11am-12:30pm
Collins Memorial Library, Room 020 (lower level)
Back by popular demand, Bill and Vicky Stewart return to show their impressive book art! As owners of Vamp & Tramp, a unique business representing over 150 fine press and book artists from around the world, they will show fine examples from their collection while you experience the unique world of artists’ books. Read about their approach to representing artists and their love of the book at: www.vampandtramp.com/html/aboutus.html.
During orientation we asked for your comments about Puget Sound. Here are some of the comments from new students direct from our Collins scrapbook!
First Impressions of Puget Sound…
We agree – what more could you ask for! Puget Sound Rocks!
To commemorate the 100th birthday of The Trail, the Library teamed up with Trail staff to celebrate this momentous occasion! Over the summer, selected editions of The Trail have been made available through our digital repository Sound Ideas. Student archivists Jordan Apele and Kelsey Mahler spent time this summer going through past editions of the newspaper starting with the first edition published in 1910 to identify major historical events. Working with Trail editors, many of the historical articles were selected for reprint in this year’s Trail. To launch this focus on the history of the Trail – join trail staff at the celebration event next week: Thursday, September 23, 6:00-8:30 pm in the Rotunda!
Enjoy some cake and look through some issues spanning the last 100 years of our student newspaper.
The Music in the Library series begins this academic year with a return performance by musician Margaret Shelton – back by popular demand, she will play her beautiful harp this Friday, Sept. 17, 2010, at 3-3:30 p.m., in the library Reading room. Take a refreshing study break, and relax to amazing music!
Don’t miss this exciting “Book Club Rodeo” event free to the public 7 p.m. at Kings Books, Tuesday, Sept. 14! Book Buyers from local librarys will talk about interesting books in publishers’ fall lists, recent good reads, and older favorites!
The Library had trivia questions for students at LogJam, with prizes to the closest answers to the following questions.
The answers to the trivia questions:
1. How many print outs are made at the library per year? Answer: 1.5 million
2. How many questions were asked & answered in the library last year? Answer: 2078
3. How many electronic magazines/journals does the library have? Answer: C) over 25,000
Bonus: How many people visited the library this morning between 8am and noon?
Answer: 512
And the winners are… Max Keyes and Andrew Fox
CONGRATULATIONS!
Puget Sound’s first-ever Library Palooza rocked Collins Memorial Library this past Wednesday & Friday between 11-12, as both incoming and returning students joined library staff for a jam-packed hour showcasing library spaces and services, with some extra fun thrown in:
* A Wii video game extravaganza
*Photo opportunities with the Library’s Seat of Knowledge and the Tree of Knowledge
* Rousing games of Cornhole
* Adding to the World’s Longest Snake Book
* Signing the biggest Collins Library Scrapbook ever
* Crafting Dorm Decorations
* Sleevefacing
Everyone had a blast with two rounds of Palooza, as you can see from our photo album on Facebook! Thanks for coming!
Be on the lookout for some intriguing items in the library this Fall – like the biggest Collins Library scrap book you’ve ever seen!