Schools and libraries across the nation are hosting Banned Books Week, Monday through Friday, an event that highlights controversial books, and defend students’ rights to reading books written from all perspectives.

“[Banned book week] is all about speaking out against censorship that happens. It started in 1983, where a bunch of librarians and teachers and educators wanted to speak out against others trying to censor books meant for everybody,” librarian Chelsea Hamilton said. “What I am doing is I found a giant list of books that were banned, have been banned, or have been challenged, and I really wanted students to take another look at those, and think about looking at things from other perspectives, because I don’t really believe in taking away from everybody just because you don’t agree with it. “

Hamilton encourages students to get into the library, and check out these books, to open their exposure to controversial, and possibly enlightening topics. 

“Just looking at things from different perspectives, trying to understand where someone might be coming from, when they’re thinking about challenging a book, or maybe don’t agree with a book,” Hamilton said. “It can maybe help in thinking about how they can open their mind, how you can open your mind to a book.”

The week dedicated to banned books in the school can also bring interest and excitement to the library, according to English teacher Elizabeth Evans. 

“Obviously it’s really important that we are not censoring what we can read, so celebrating it in that way is great,” Evans said. “Also, I think it can just be an intriguing way to get students into the library and wonder what are these banned books, and what are they about, and just get us interest in reading them.”

Junior Emma Varela is excited for the week showcasing these books, and is glad that it open students up to real world issues. 

“I don’t think its smart, because it’s unnecessary censorship, I think everybody should be exposed to what’s going on in the world, even if it is touchy or controversial,” Varela said. “They banned them sometime because of cuss words and things like that, but as highschoolers, you hear and see these things all over the place, so why would you censor that from us.” 

Books like those that have been banned can provide students with new perspective. 

“I think it’s important to allow kids to read these types of books,” junior Emma Varela said. “I know you can always buy them online, but not all kids have that opportunity, and it is good to have them just in the library, so showing that this school doesn’t ban these books shows how open we are and how much we want kids to read what they want.”

Inforgraphic by Eden Brim