By The Keystone Newspaper Event will discuss ways to fight censorship and support intellectual freedom.
By Lynda Feustel
Banned Book Bash, hosted by Allies and Alpha Beta Alpha, will take place in Academic Forum room 102 on Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. The event will feature a presentation from the two clubs and light refreshments. The event will also count for honor students as a living and learning event.
“Libraries and schools across the country have been facing overwhelming amounts of book bans and attempts,” said Nicole Gerstenberg, Alpha Beta Alpha secretary. “These especially affect LGBTQ+ authors and themes. Alpha Beta Alpha and Allies want to bring this to attention and show students ways they can help protect intellectual freedom.”
Gerstenberg was one of the main organizers of the event along with Allies President Noah Gray and ABA President Lily Lohrmann.
Banned Books Week runs from Sept. 22-28 and coincides with Let Freedom Read Day on Sept. 28. The theme this year is “freed between the lines.” Banned Books Week was established in 1982 to fight censorship in schools and libraries. It typically occurs in the last week of September and encourages librarians, educators, authors, booksellers and advocates to ensure that people have the freedom to seek out new ideas and perspectives. Part of the celebration this year is encouraging people to vote in the upcoming election.
Alpha Beta Alpha is the last surviving chapter of the library science fraternity. The Rho chapter was formed in 1958 and is open to students of all majors as long as they have an interest in libraries or library science. ABA hosts many events including book sales, movie nights, trips and an annual banquet at the end of the year. ABA meets on Thursdays at 11 a.m. in Rohrbach Library room 22 and can be found can be found on their Instagram @kutztownaba
Allies seeks to provide a safe social space to KU’s LGBTQ+ community. Allies hosts weekly meetings and advocacy events throughout the year. Some of their big events include Pridefest, the Gender and Sexual Minorities Conference and the Unity Ball. Allies also sponsors the Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast and the KU Drag Show annually. The club meets on Thursdays at 11 a.m. at Boxwood House, and can be found on Instagram @kuallies