Looking Back on Banned Books Week 2025
Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association, was October 6 - 11. The SDSU Library hosted three events and created an informative web page to highlight current challenges to intellectual freedom across the United States and to educate members of the SDSU community about how to recognize efforts to ban books or otherwise limit access to information.. These events were part of similar programs around San Diego and across the CSU as the California State University remains committed to the principle that the freedom to read is essential to its mission.
PEN America, an organization dedicated to protecting free expression in the United States, introduced its 2025 report with these words:
In 2025, book censorship in the United States is rampant and common. Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country. Never before have so many states passed laws or regulations to facilitate the banning of books, including bans on specific titles statewide. Never before have so many politicians sought to bully school leaders into censoring according to their ideological preferences, even threatening public funding to exact compliance. Never before has access to so many stories been stolen from so many children.
While there have been no recent challenges to materials held in the San Diego State University's library collection, it is important for all members of the SDSU community to understand the importance of this issue at the local and national level so that they are prepared to respond to any future challenges and to share opportunities to reinforce the SDSU commitment to the right to read.
We started the week with the SDSU Student Read-out for Banned Books, co-sponsored by Associated Students, held outside in the center of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Students, faculty and staff read short selections from frequently banned books at lunch time, when students could stop and listen. Nadia Gallarzo, A.S. Vice President of University Affairs, said, “Understanding the impact of banning books is important because it reminds us how access to diverse stories and voices shapes education, inclusion, and community.”
On Tuesday, we hosted the San Diego Public Library for Library Card Sign-up Day. More than 120 members of the SDSU community signed up for new or renewed library cards, providing them with access to books and ebooks that the University Library doesn’t have, as well as all the other programs the SDPL offers.
Asked why she stood in line for a public library card, Social Work graduate student Karen Angelo said, “I want to help keep libraries alive, and being part of the community helps me keep one foot in reality. Plus, there are so many free, great resources that I will want to tell my future clients about.”
Social Sciences Librarian Ashley Wilson organized the event. She said it was important to her for students to learn about the public library's resources before they finished at SDSU, so that they would still have a library to use after they left school. “Public libraries are good sources for things that low-income people and low-budget public agencies can use. There are so many free resources, and I want to make sure as many students are linked to them as possible.”
On Tuesday, the librarians hosted an opportunity to “Talk to a Librarian…about Banned Books.” SDSU librarians took turns staffing a drop-in information table to discuss banned books and answer questions from students. Between 9 am and 5 pm, 99 students dropped by to chat. Instruction Librarian Suzanne Maguire organized the event. She reported that the students were very interested in statistics about banned books, which groups and individuals most actively try to ban books, and why certain titles were banned or challenged. They also wanted to know which banned books the librarians recommended reading, or if the librarians had a favorite banned or challenged book. Reference Librarian Markel Tumlin said, "It was a great opportunity to talk to students about intellectual freedom, and I had several good conversations. Some of them were very excited to get free copies of the One Book One San Diego selections. Two students even included me in their classroom project about banned books. I hope we will do this again next year."
“Over the past three years, we have seen a growing awareness among SDSU students about the importance of protecting the right to read and a growing commitment across the CSU system to articulating the freedom to read as essential to public higher education,” said Scott Walter, Dean of the University Library. “Each year,” he continued, “we see a greater variety of partners joining us to share their commitment to fight against efforts to ban books from our schools and libraries, and to share what access to books of all types has meant to them. I hope that we continue to see these programs grow and see Banned Books Week become a high point on the SDSU calendar for collaboration among the library, our colleagues in other colleges, our partners in Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, and, most importantly, our students.”
In recent years, there have been increasing challenges to the right to access library materials, to present information through exhibits and other public programs in libraries and museums, and to strongly support the rights to read, write, and inquire freely. The SDSU Library looks forward to continuing its partnership with Associated Students and other campus and community partners to promote education, scholarship, engagement, and advocacy in support of intellectual freedom.
