The Alabama Academic Library Homepage: An Analysis of Design Trends

The Alabama Academic Library Homepage: An Analysis of Design Trends

Daniel Moody

Emerging Technologies Librarian

Auburn University at Montgomery

dmoody2@aum.edu

Abstract

A library’s homepage is typically the first thing a user will see, but structure and features vary widely,

even among the same types of libraries. A quantitative analysis of 26 Alabama academic library homepages

shows the trends in design that exist across the state. Certain features are common, such as chat, search, and

being hosted on a dedicated site as opposed to being a subdomain of the main university URL, but implemen-

tation varies, and no feature is universal. Other features, such as social media integration, are rare, reflecting

the results of prior studies. Links between these features show various trends in homepage design for Alabama

academic libraries and create a composite image that developers/designers can use in development of academ-

ic library website homepages.

Keywords: library homepage, Alabama academic libraries, Alabama libraries, CMS, Content Management

System, OPACs, Chat

Introduction

This exploratory study examines academic library homepages in Alabama to create a composite image

of the features that constitute the “average” academic library homepage for this state. While an entire industry

exists to cater to building university websites, and standard practices have emerged over the years, the same is

not true for academic library websites or library websites in general. There is no real standard, and content and

layouts can vary widely. Design is often done in-house by the librarians/library staff themselves, albeit with

restrictions imposed by the university in terms of color, images, etc. By examining the trends that have devel-

oped across a range of academic library homepages in Alabama, and by gaining an understanding of the cur-

rent overall condition, it is possible to create a standardized template from which developers/designers work-

ing with/at these libraries can build.

A similar study (Wilson, 2015) looked at the same topic though with a slightly different focus. Where-

ies in general. A study from 2011 on library homepage design only included four Alabama libraries (Jones &

Leonard, 2011). More recent studies include Chow, Bridges, and Commander’s 2014 nationwide study of

1,496 library websites, though the scope included both public and academic libraries. Most research done on

library website homepages are specific to individual institutions, typically usability studies done during web-

site redesigns. Examples include Overduin (2019), Becker & Yannotta (2013), and Desmarais & Louderback

(2020) which all focused on specific institutions and redesign efforts rather than on the current condition of a

selected population.

Methodology and Definitions

This is a quantitative study analyzing Alabama academic library homepages based on the following

factors/attributes:

Embedded or dedicated library website

Type of CMS

Catalog Search on homepage

Hours displayed

Chat feature

Embedded or linked through external service

Social media links/integration

Before beginning, it is helpful to clarify the definitions of terms as they are used by this study:

Academic Library

For the purpose of this study, “academic libraries” are those associated with institutions that meet the

following criteria:

Baccalaureate college or above according to Carnegie classification

Non-profit

Not a special focus institution according to Carnegie classification

Twenty-six institutions in Alabama, drawn from the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries mem-

bers list (ACHE, 2020), meet these criteria and the main library homepage for each is examined. The focus is

on general academic libraries and, as such, specialized libraries such as law or health science are not consid-

ered as part of the study.

Embedded or Dedicated Website

Though not a technical definition, this study considers a library website to be “embedded” into the

main university website when it is a subdomain of the university, often with “/library” appended to the main

university URL, and the main university navigation menus frame the site with library navigation being sec-

ondary at best. The effect is similar to the inline frame created by the <iframe> HTML tag and is not uncom-

mon since it allows universities to impose standardized templates across the university’s web presence. How-

ever, it can also create restrictions on who can edit and how a site is edited/maintained.

Content Management System (CMS)

A CMS (content management system) is an abstraction layer between the codebase and the human

builders of a website. The aim is to simplify the process by doing things like database creation, security set-

tings, and user profile setup in the background. They are ubiquitous in academic libraries and allow members

of library staff with little to no technical background to maintain a website efficiently. Some CMSs can in-

volve a great deal of customization and coding, while others will work out-of-the-box and be more or less drag

-and-drop. Amsler & Churchville (2021) define them as follows: “A content management system (CMS) is a

software application that enables users to create, edit, collaborate on, publish and store digital content. CMSes

are typically used for enterprise content management (ECM) and web content management (WCM).” (para. 1)

Catalog Search

This study defines “Catalog search” as a search box allowing a user to search library materials, rather

than a link to search on a separate page. For the purposes of this study “Catalog” is a catch-all term that in-

cludes both the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and the library’s chosen discovery service.

Hours Displayed

“Hours Displayed” in this study refers to any method used to indicate operating hours, whether live

and updated daily and automatically using a widget or calendar tool or simply a static block of text stating

general hours.

Chat Feature

This study defines a “chat feature” as a method of text-based, one-to-one, instant communication be-

tween a user and a member of the library staff. This can be browser-based via a widget such as the LibApps

chat tool that is integrated into the site or can come from a service or tool like WeChat or Google.

Social Media Integration

Many social media platforms provide a way for users to take a live feed of their posts and embed it into

a website, typically using HTML and JavaScript to catch all posts from a specific user or tag. “Social Media

Integration” here means that a library website has done this with one or more of their social media accounts on

the library homepage.

Analysis and Trends

Although the population size is small, the data allow the author to draw a composite portrait of the av-

erage Alabama academic library homepage features. In short, it is likely to have the following:

Chat feature

Catalog search on homepage

Hosted separately from the main university website

Social media links but no integration

Beyond these features, the libraries display a range of attributes.

A search feature on the homepage is common; only five sites lack this tool and if a site lacks a search

feature, it is also likely to lack a chat feature. Four of the five sites lacking a search feature also lack a chat

feature, and all five are embedded into the university site as opposed to being on their own. This accounts for

half of the embedded library sites. Only one standalone site lacks a search feature on the homepage, and all the

sites using LibGuides have a search feature.

While it is more common for a library site to stand alone (16 vs. 10), their chosen CMSs vary widely.

LibGuides is the most common (see Table 2) but Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, Atriuum, and Sirsi are also rep-

resented. Conrad and Stevens (2019) comment on the features that make LibGuides popular for libraries, say-

ing “The popularity of LibGuides is due in part to its removal of technological barriers to online guide crea-

tion, making it possible for those without web-design experience to create content.” (p. 49) Even more than

the average CMS, it provides a layer of abstraction away from maintaining code.

The breakdown of these CMSs, with five using LibGuides and ten lacking their own CMSs entirely

and being part of the main university site, could imply that a majority of Alabama academic libraries lack ded-

icated web developers. Most libraries, academic or otherwise, do not have a dedicated member of staff who is

responsible solely for designing and managing the website. In their study of 1,469 academic and public library

websites, Chow, Bridges, and Commander (2014) found that fewer than 50 libraries have a dedicated librarian

for web development (p. 262). They note that most commonly, “the majority of library websites are designed

and managed by librarians who work on the website part-time as part of their regular librarian duties” (Chow

et al., 2014, p.263). However, this is not necessarily the only reason a library may choose LibGuides as their

CMS. The decision may come down to simple university-level constraints. Academic libraries often lack au-

tonomy when it comes to their own website, and this is possibly an extension of that trend. LibGuides can

serve as a way around university mandates and is a “particularly attractive product for libraries constrained by

tively common; Connell (2013) states “at a significance level of p = 0.001, libraries at smaller institutions are

more likely to share a CMS with their parent” (p. 49) and are unlikely to have a choice. He notes:

For libraries that transitioned to a CMS with their parent institution, the transition was usually

forced. Out of the 88 libraries that transitioned together and indicated whether they were given

a choice, only 8 libraries (9 percent) had a say in whether to make that transition. (Connell,

2013, p. 51)

It is necessary for librarians to have a degree of control over their sites because as Cockrell and Jayne

(2002) state in their usability study:

Academic library Web sites are necessarily complex. They must fulfill multiple overlapping roles that

combine reference, research, informational, and instructional services for a broad constituency that in-

cludes undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff. The result is a large, complex structure that may

easily exceed 1,000 pages. (p. 122)

Using the LibGuides platform as their CMS gives libraries some measure of choice in how their web-

site looks and functions.

The dominant discovery service found in Alabama academic libraries is EBSCO, which is among the

most popular discovery services for academic libraries. Fourteen of the 25 sites use EBSCO and a majority of

those using EBSCO also utilize a chat feature. Only three of those fourteen do not. Use of the EBSCO Discov-

ery service is comparable to national trends for academic libraries. According to Hochman & David (2020),

Carnegie classification for the schools chosen for this study breaks down as follows in Table 10.

EBSCO is the leading discovery service for each of those categories, except “Level 15: Doctoral Uni-

versities: Very High Research Activities” and “Level 21: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus” where Primo and WorldCat discovery services respectively lead, as shows in Tables 11-18, the following ta-

bles of national discovery service usage display (Breeding, 2018).

Chat is a common feature across Alabama academic libraries, but the library homepages embedded in

their institution sites are slightly more likely to have a chat feature than the ones that maintain distinct sites.

chat feature. It is also somewhat less common for the libraries that use LibGuides as their CMS to have a chat

feature. Of the five sites using LibGuides, only two of them have a chat feature. Notably, the overall percent-

age of Alabama academic library homepages with a chat feature is very similar to Wilson’s findings in 2015.

He notes that “over 40 percent of libraries still do not provide such services” (Wilson, 2015, p. 100). While his

study explored the sites as a whole, a similar percentage of library homepages today lack this service. Ten

(38%) of the 26 homepages of sites chosen for this study also lack a chat feature.

With regards to social media, Wilson found that “these tools are not universally embraced” (p. 100).

That is still true. This study found that only 13 of the 26 sites have social media links on the homepage and

only 5 of the 26 have integrated social media posts into the page. However, a library site that lacks social me-

dia does not necessarily imply no digital communication at all. The sites lacking social media links are no

more or less likely than sites with social media links to have a chat feature.

There are some trends shown by homepages with hours displayed vs. homepages with no hours dis-

played, though caveats apply. Homepages lacking hours displayed are more likely to have social media inte-

grated (33% vs 11%) but less likely to have chat (33% vs 64%) or social media links (33% vs 47%). Social

media integration is where, rather than simply providing links to social media, the feeds are embedded into the

pages allowing real-time display of posts. Social media integration is lacking across Alabama academic library

homepages, with only 19% of the analyzed pages having it. Although those with no hours displayed have a

greater percentage with the integration (33% vs. 11%), the small overall sample does not allow for any conclu-

sions. As such, the standard “correlation is not causation” caveat applies. Lacking displayed hours does not

equate to causing a lack of social media integration but it may suggest something related. All four features

(hours, chat, social media integration, and social media links) require basic site editing and two (chat and so-

cial media integration) require embedding code into the HTML itself. This could imply a lack of comfort/

familiarity with editing on the part of the library employees, though such a conclusion requires more data.

Conclusion

The sample size is small, but the gathered data do allow for a composite image of what constitutes a

exploration to see if the same trends hold up across different states or countries. Chat is a popular feature for

academic library homepages throughout the state, regardless of whether the site is embedded or dedicated, and

a catalog search is almost ubiquitous. However, discovery service and CMS usage vary widely. By applying

the same methodology to a range of states or by looking at a more granular level at the libraries at different

types of schools (public vs private, religiously-affiliated vs. non, etc.), more patterns should emerge and allow

for a better picture of the common design trends across the spectrum of academic libraries.

Additionally, by looking at the results of this study in conjunction with data from Wilson’s prior study

(Wilson, 2015) it can be surmised that overall development for Alabama academic library site homepages has

been largely stagnant. This is an oversight that we would benefit from correcting. Jones and Leonard (2010)

opened by noting, “The homepages of academic libraries are increasingly critical to successful research and

learning outcomes now that the majority of library resources are available online and virtual visitors outnum-

ber in-person visitors” (p. 24). If that was true in 2010, it rings truer now with the massive proliferation of digi-

tal resources over the last decade. While a bare-bones library homepage is perfectly functional, it does not ben-

efit the users, nor does it meet user expectations, as much as one that more readily adopts and adapts newer

tools. Jones and Leonard note that “every advance by Google, Amazon, and Wikipedia raises user expecta-

tions, and libraries are losing ground” (p. 25). The first step to advancing is knowing where we are and what

we have. In creating a composite image of what constitutes “average” for Alabama academic library homepag-

es and by examining the trends that exist, librarians may be able to develop a list of best practices for use in

academic library homepage development.

ACHE. (2020). NAAL Member List. https://ache.edu/ACHE_Reports/Forms/NAAL/Members.pdf

Amsler, S. & Churchville, F. (Eds.) (2021). Content Management System (CMS). https://

searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com/definition/content-management-system-CMS

Becker, D. A., & Yannotta, L. (2013). Modeling a Library Website Redesign Process: Developing a User-

Centered Website Through Usability Testing. Inf orm ation Technology & Libraries, 32(1), 6–22. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v32i1.2311

Breeding, M. (2018) ILS report by Carnegie Classification. https://librarytechnology.org/libraries/carnegie/

Chow Anthony S., Bridges Michelle, & Commander Patricia. (2014). The Website Design and Usability of US

Academic and Public Libraries: Findings from a Nationwide Study. R ef erence and User S ervices Quar-

terly, 53(3), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.53n3.253

Cockrell, B. J., & Jayne, E. A. (2002). How Do I Find an Article? Insights from a Web Usability Study. Jour-

nal of Academic Librarianship, 28(3), 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0099-1333(02)00279-3

Connell, R. S. (2013). Content Management Systems: Trends in Academic Libraries. Information Technology

& Libraries, 32(2), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v32i2.4632

Conrad, S., & Stevens, C. (2019). “Am I on the library website?”: A LibGuides Usability Study. Inform ation

Technology & Libraries, 38(3), 49–81. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v38i3.10977

Desmarais, B. & Louderback, P. (2020). Planning and Assessing Patron Experience and Needs for an Academ-

ic Library Website. Journal of Library A dm inistration, 60(8), 966–977. https://

doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2020.1820283

Hochman, David (2020). Carnegie Classifications/IPEDS. https://tbed.org/univlist/index.php?

tablename=cc_vw&function=search&execute_search=1&search_from_filter=1

Jones, S. L., & Leonard, K. (2011). Library Homepage Design at Smaller Bachelor of Arts Institutions. Journal

of Web Librarianship, 5(1), 24–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2011.546216

Overduin, T. (2019). “Like a Robot”: Designing Library Websites for New and Returning Users. Journal

Wilson, D. E. (2015). Web content and design trends of Alabama academic libraries. The Electronic Li-

brary, 1, 88. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-05-2013-0100

Table 1

Embedded or Dedicated Library Website

Embedded 10

Dedicated 16

Table 2

CMS Usage

Drupal 2

LibGuides CMS 5

Joomla 2

Wordpress 2 Sirsi ILS 1

Embedded Site 10

Unknown

Atriuum 3

1

Table 3

Discovery Service

EBSCO 15

Ex-libris 3

WorldCat 3

Sirsi 2

Polaris 1

Booksys 1 Atriuum 1

Appendix

Table 4

Hours Displayed

Yes 17

No 9

Table 5

Chat Feature

Yes 15

No 11

Table 6

Social Media Integration

Yes 5

No 21

Table 7

Catalog Search on the Homepage

Yes

No 21

5

Chat in Embedded Sites

With 6

Without 4

Table 9

Chat in Distinct Sites

With 7

Without 9

Table 10

Carnegie Classification Breakdown of Alabama Colleges

Level 22: Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields

Level 21: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus 5

5

Level 20: Master's Colleges and Universities: Small Programs 2

Level 19: Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs 4 Level 18: Master's Colleges and Universities: Larger Programs 5 Level 17: Doctoral/Professional Universities 1

Level 16: Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity 2

Level 15: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity 2

Level 22: Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields

Product Libraries

EBSCO Discovery Service 50 None 53

None / Unknown

Primo Central 74

38

Summon 27

WorldCat Discovery 1

WorldCat Discovery Service 35 WorldCat Local 3

Table 12

Level 21: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences

Product Libraries

EBSCO Discovery Service 50

None 29

None / Unknown

Primo 12

1

Primo Central 47

Summon 22

WorldCat Discovery Service 54 WorldCat Local 9

Table 13

Level 20: Master's Colleges and Universities: Small Programs

Product

EBSCO Discovery Service None

None / Unknown

Primo Central

Summon

WorldCat Discovery Service WorldCat Local Libraries

39

16

16

23

6

19

2 Level 19: Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs

Product

EBSCO Discovery Service None

None / Unknown

Primo

Primo Central

Summon

WorldCat Discovery Service WorldCat Local

Libraries

54

26

19

1

37

7

29

10

Table 15

Level 18 / Master's Colleges and Universities: Larger Programs

Product

EBSCO Discovery Service

None

None / Unknown

Primo Central

Summon

WorldCat Discovery Service WorldCat Local

Worldcat Discovery Service Libraries

97

36

10

93

34

2

7

1

Table 16

Level 17: Doctoral/Professional Universities

Product

EBSCO Discovery Service None

None / Unknown

Primo Central

Summon

WorldCat Discovery Service WorldCat Local Libraries

50

15

7

30

18

13

4

Level 16: Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity

Product Libraries

Central Discovery Index (Ex Libris) 1 EBSCO Discovery Service 47

None 4

None / Unknown

Primo Central 2

47

Summon 20

WorldCat Discovery Service WorldCat Local 5

2

Central Discovery Index (Ex Libris) 1

Table 18

Level 15: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity

Product

Custom

EBSCO Discovery Service None

None / Unknown

Primo Central

Summon

WorldCat Discovery Service Libraries

1

24

2

1

71

27

4

You Can't Read That!:

Banned Books Week and Its Celebration at an Alabama University

Rachel Hooper

Head of Public Services

Troy University, Troy, AL

hooperr@troy.edu

Kelly Marie Wilson

Independent Researcher

kelly.m.wilson2011@gmail.com

Banned Books Week is a celebration of the freedom to read whatever someone wishes to. It is a cele-

bration of the freedom to access information and the condemnation of those who seek to censor books, films,

and ideas. Far too often, books are challenged because of an individual’s personal viewpoints. This article will

provide a brief introduction to Banned Books Week and a history of censorship in the United States, and will

cover the evolution of Banned Books Week celebrations at an Alabama university.

Keywords: Banned Books Week, Censorship, Challenged Books, Freedom to Read, Banned

Introduction

Since 1982, Banned Books Week has been celebrated in libraries across America (Banned Books

Week, 2021). Although it may be celebrated in different ways throughout the country, the main purpose of this

designated week is to celebrate the freedom to read. People around the world are limited in what they can read

due to their country’s perception of what is acceptable, whether it be because of political, religious, or any oth-

er number of controversial reasons. At first glance, it may seem that America is immune to this, that it is a free

country and people can read whatever they choose to read. Unfortunately, America also has problems with

censorship and book banning (Foerstel, 2002). This paper will look at the attempt to define censorship, give a

brief history of censorship in the U.S., provide an explanation of Banned Books Week according to the Ameri-

can Library Association (ALA), and explain how Troy University has celebrated Banned Books Week over the

last five years.

Defining Censorship

When thinking about banned books and censorship, most people probably think about countries other

than the United States. Although America is considered a free country, “the ALA Office for Intellectual Free-

dom records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from libraries shelves and

from classrooms” (American Library Association, 2021b). It is an ongoing problem that has not seen any relief

(Foerstel, 2002; Paxton, 2008).

Although "banned" and "challenged" are sometimes used interchangeably, the wording actually means

two different things. “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a

many “challengers” do not realize is that when they make a move to challenge and/or ban a book, this brings

more attention to the title in question. Even if the challenge does lead to a banning of the book in that particu-

lar library or school, it does not stop people from acquiring the book through other means. When a big deal (or

ordeal) is made about banning a book, it can make people even more interested in reading it, so, in a way, the

challenge and banning can backfire and cause more people to read it than had been previously.

History of Censorship in the United States

Censorship and banning have been issues dating back to the invention of the printing press in the 15th

century (Foerstel, 2002). Prior to the formation of the United States, censorship was such an issue that it was

even included in the First Amendment of the US Constitution which clearly states the following:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exer-

cise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacea-

bly to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (U.S. Const. amend.

I.).

How much does this Amendment truly protect the freedom to read and the freedom of speech and

press? Not only are books and news stories censored and/or banned, but this banning has spread to the theater,

photography, art, music, and even to video games. Paxton (2008) stated that this could be caused by “fear of

the unknown or discomfort” (pp. 92-93). Whatever the reason, censorship has been problematic throughout our

country’s entire existence, and the issues do not seem to be slowing down (Paxton, 2008).

According to the American Library Association, the first court case to focus on the right to read freely

took place in 1924. In the case of Ev ans v . S elm a Union High S chool District of Fresno County, 222 P. 801,

the Supreme Court of California found that “the King James version of the Bible was not a ‘publication of a

sectarian, partisan, or denominational character’ that a State statute required a public high school library to ex-

clude from it’s collections”. Furthermore, it was recorded that the court made the following statement:

The mere act of purchasing a book to be added to the school library does not carry with it any implica-

tion of the adoption of the theory or dogma contained therein, or any approval of the book itself, except

as a work of literature fit to be included in a reference library.

lection, it should not be done so based on the personal preference of the librarian; instead, book orders are

made based on the needs of the students, staff, faculty, and anyone else who patrons the library. The librarian

may be the disseminator of information and the protector of intellectual freedom, but they are most definitely

not the gatekeeper of knowledge (American Library Association, 2021c).

While the above case occurred almost one hundred years ago, courts around the United States

are still hearing cases on the right to read freely. For example, in the 2009 case of Counts v. Cedarville S chool

District, 295 F. Supp. 2d 996, U.S. District Court, Western District, Arkansas, Fort Smith Division, the school

board of Cedarville, Arkansas, attempted to restrict access to the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling on the

idea that “the books promoted disobedience and disrespect for authority and dealt with witchcraft and the oc-

cult”. The school board’s decision to restrict access was overturned by the district court, and the schools were

ordered to provide unrestricted access to these books on the grounds that “the restrictions violated students’ First Amendment right to read and receive information”. It was also stated that the school board could not re-

strict access to a book “on the basis of an undifferentiated fear of disturbance or because the Board disagreed

with the ideas contained in the book” (American Library Association, 2021c).

About Banned Books Week

Before diving into the various aspects of Banned Books week, it is important to define what the cele-

bration itself is all about. Kristin Pekoll (2020) created one of the best definitions in stating that it “is an event

that highlights the harms of censorship for students and the community. It relays the truth that banning books -

- or any resource -- is a contradiction for the First Amendment” (p. 33).

From the experience of the authors, one of the most common questions surrounding Banned Books

Week is “What is the difference between banned and challenged books?” The American Library Association

has a very informative “About Banned & Challenged Books” (American Library Association, 2021a) page

which answers this question and many more. To continue the definition previously given in the paper, Pekoll

(2020) argues that “a challenge is defined by the intent of the request to deny or restrict access to others” (p.

29). A book banning takes place when a challenge is successful, and the book is removed from a library’s col-

lection. For more information, ALA provides libraries with a plethora of useful graphics, informatics, social

Another frequently asked question involves why a particular book has been challenged or banned.

To answer this question, ALA has provided numerous lists of most challenged books, many of which provide

reasons for why they were challenged, restricted, or banned. For example, of the ten most frequently challenged

books in 2019, eight of those books were challenged or banned due to political and religious viewpoints against

LGBTQ+ content. This is quite depressing and shows just how long the road toward equality is for members of

the LGBTQ+ community if books are still being challenged and banned because they contain content that con-

flicts with “traditional family structure” and are a “deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” (American

Library Association, 2021d). Additional reasons for challenging or banning books include being too realistic, as

in Judy Blume's books; supernatural content, as in Daniel Cohen's and J. K. Rowling's books; and sad endings as

seen in Katherine Paterson's books (Foerstel, 2002). Yes, these are actual reasons given as to why these books

should be removed from school and public libraries, according to the ALA.

In 2009, the most common reasons for challenging or banning books were as follows: “unsuited to age

group” (9 out of 10); “offensive language” and “sexually explicit” (both 8 out of 10); “homosexuality” and

“religious viewpoint” (both at 3 out of 10); “drugs” and “nudity” (both at 2 out of 10); and “anti-family,” “suicide,” “racism,” “sexism,” and “violence,” with each occurring once in the list of Top Ten Most Challenged

Books for that particular year (American Library Association, 2021d).

In fact, the “unsuited to age group” reason played a rather large role in research conducted by Emily J. M.

Knox (2019) who noted that it seemed to be used as a “catch-all” phrase used to silence “uncomfortable” topics

such as racial inequality, LGBTQIA+, and stories of diverse peoples. The author came to a startling conclusion

regarding censorship among challengers that the authors of this article feel needs to be included in this discus-

sion:

One of the most striking aspects of challengers’ arguments against diverse books is that,

generally speaking, the topic of the book is fine, but -- according to the challenger -- the

story should be presented in some other way that does not really engage the topic. This

stipulation is less true of books that center on LGBTQ protagonists where challengers ar-

gue that the topic should simply not be addressed at all….what the challengers want is a

sanitized view of diverse peoples’ stories--one that does not take into account what it

In 2016, the Troy University library received the Judith Krug Fund Banned Books Week Grant, which

was provided by the Freedom to Read Foundation. This grant included $1,000 towards celebrating Banned

Books Week, which kick-started Troy Library’s annual events. Initially, the library chose to participate in the

celebration in small ways in order to gauge the patrons’ interest. Posters advertising Banned Books Week were

hung in the library and faculty were invited to take part in a “Read-Out” Event. These faculty members chose

excerpts from their favorite banned or challenged books to read to everyone in attendance. Over time, Troy’s

celebration has grown. A Comic Con became the kick-off event, and the Read-Out Event closed the week of

events. “Banned” books were given away each day of the week, and several students came back each day to

see which title would be released next. A true definition of a Comic Con was hard to define as it varies greatly;

however, for the purposes of this paper, and from the viewpoint of many libraries, a Comic Con (short for

comic convention) is essentially an event where a collection of fans of either comics, games, anime, etc, gather

to celebrate and meet with creators and professionals in that field. A common theme among Comic Cons is

"cosplay" or dressing up as ones favorite character from a game/book/comic/anime.

The participation and interest expressed were very encouraging, and the Comic Con evolved through

the years. The first year was a small-scale event, but it turned out to be a huge success and a great learning ex-

perience. The event was held in a portion of the library that allowed the librarians to close it off and keep the

noise level down, which avoided disturbing those students trying to study in other areas of the library. It was

scheduled for a two-hour period on a Sunday afternoon. This was chosen because it would not interfere with

any classes. Included in the event were a local comic book artist; coloring stations for both college students

and children; a history professor who wanted to promote the new game design minor; the local comic book

store; and a professional photo booth, which provided props geared towards Banned Books Week, censorship,

and reading. Giveaways were provided to attendees, including a large number of items like pens, buttons, bags,

and books that were collected from a variety of conferences the librarians had attended the previous year.

By the third year of running the event, it had grown significantly. What started out as having approxi-

mately 50 attendees tripled to upwards of 150 students, staff, faculty, and community members. In the second

and third years, the convention gained two to three community artists, a costume designer, and a crafter (from

plushies to stickers) as well as the local comic book store representative, a representative from the university’s

out to be a great success. By the third year, students were showing up to the Comic Con dressed as superhe-

roes!

Common responses to the events during Banned Books Week were expressions of general interest in

the topic. Numerous people asked about Banned Books Week, and many wanted to see a list of the top banned

books. This brought about conversations on literature, reading, censorship, and books in general. The faculty

members expressed great passion for the titles they chose to read and discuss for the Read-Out event. Based on

what the authors witnessed, the passion of the faculty members led to the attendees’ increased interest in those

specific titles discussed. Seeing students and faculty so interested in this topic indicated to the librarians at

Troy that the Read Out event, in particular, is important to continue having each year.

In addition to these events, the library also worked with the art department to incorporate student art-

work. One of the art professors assigned her students a project that dealt with banned books. Each year the pro-

ject changed slightly, but the general idea was that the students created artwork based on their chosen banned

book. The artwork was displayed prior to Banned Books Week and throughout the week itself. The librarians

voted on their favorite piece, and the winner was given a prize at the Read Out event. Some of past prizes in-

cluded Barnes & Noble gift cards, Troy University Library t-shirts, and art supplies. In 2019, it was decided

that instead of requesting input solely from the librarians, it would be better to ask for input from other stu-

dents. As such, the artwork was set out during the Comic Con along with voting sheets and jars. Many more

nominations were received, and it was great to see the Comic Con attendees so interested in the artwork of

their fellow students.

That same class of students also created the designs for advertising that was used for the comic con.

Unfortunately, the library had to cancel all in-person events for the 2020 Banned Books Week due to

the COVID-19 pandemic; however, free copies of selected “banned” titles were still made available to students

who visited the library. Once the pandemic is under control, the library plans to resume Banned Books Week

celebrations.

Conclusion

The way Banned Books Week is celebrated at Troy University has evolved during the last five years, but the

freedom to read. Librarians fight on the front lines daily to protect the freedom of access to information,

whether for research, self-improvement, or entertainment. While public, school, and academic librarians work

directly with the public, members of the American Library Association work with lawmakers and officials to

keep the right to read freely available to all within the U.S. In conclusion, it is the hope of the authors of this

paper, a hope that is possibly shared by many other librarians, to one day eradicate censorship, particularly for

personal reasons, and provide information to all who search for it.

References

American Library Association. (2021a). A bout banned & challenged books.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/aboutbannedbooks

American Library Association. (2021b). B anned & challenged classics.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics

American Library Association. (2021c). Notable first am endm ent court cases.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorship/courtcases

American Library Association. (2021d). Top 10 m ost challenged books lists.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

Banned Books Week. (2021). A bout Banned Books W eek.

https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/

Counts v. Cedarville Sch. Dist., 295 F. Supp. 2d 996, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9533, 31 Media L. Rep. 2590

(United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Fort Smith Division April 22, 2003,

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https://advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=cases&id=urn:contentItem:48TF-4FP0-0038-Y1M0-00000

-00&context=1516831.

Evans v. Selma Union High School Dist., 193 Cal. 54, 222 P. 801, 1924 Cal. LEXIS 285, 31 A.L.R. 1121

(Supreme Court of California January 24, 1924).

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Foerstel, H. N. (2002). B anned in the U.S .A .: A reference guide to book censorship in schools and public li-

braries. Greenwood Press.

Knox, E. J. M. (2019). Silencing stories: Challenges to diverse books. The International Journal of Infor-

mation, Diversity, & Inclusion, 3(2): 24-39. Doi:10.33137/ijidi.v3i2.32592

Paxton, M. (2008). Censorship. Greenwood Press.

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U.S. Const. amend. I.

Appendix

Giveaways: Book Titles for Banned Books Weeks from 2017 to 2020

2017

13 Reasons Why – Jay Asher Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The – Mark Twain Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging – Louise Rennison Bluest Eye, The – Toni Morrison Catcher in the Rye, The – J. D. Salinger Gossip Girl – Cecile von Ziegesar Handmaid’s Tale, The – Margaret Atwood Holy Bible, The (New International Version) Hunger Games, The [box set] – Suzanne Collins Kite Runner, The – Khaled Hosseini Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – Alvin Schwartz To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

2018

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank Child Called It, A – Dave Petzer Clockwork Orange, A – Anthony Burgess Disappearing Spoon, The – Sam Kean Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The – Rebecca Skloot

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