In an effort to engage ACU students and inform them about books they may not know about, Brown Library showcases books at the entrance of the Reading Commons. The library’s acquisitions and periodical coordinator, Holly Dameron, explains, “Every couple of weeks we rotate the display, offering opportunities for students to learn something new. So far, students have viewed two displays – one that features books suggested by ACU librarians and library staff members, and the other highlighting banned books.”
Ten people who work in the library suggested books for the first display. Laura Baker, User Experience and Assessment Librarian, suggested Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Baker shares, “Brown writes beautifully about the story of an 8-man rowing team at George Washington University and their development into a crew that won the 1936 Olympics against all odds. He describes the sport as a “symphony on water” that transcends the physical. What I most enjoyed about the book was that the boys all learned to work as a team.”
To commemorate Banned Books Week, the second display featured books that have been banned from public libraries or schools, including Scythe by Neal Shusterman, The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal, The Giver by Lois Lowry and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Dameron explains, “Banned Books Week was launched in the 1980s when there were organized protests, and the Supreme Court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982). The Court ruled that school officials cannot ban books in libraries simply because of their content. Since the 1980s, there have been hundreds of books challenged or banned, usually in public libraries or schools and initiated by parents. The reasons for the challenges vary: political viewpoint, profanity, religious viewpoint. LGBTQIA+, filled with lives, Black Lives Matter, and many more.”
In the coming months ACU students can look forward to viewing books that are adapted to movies, books from the 1920’s, books that have won book awards, and more!