Mid-Autumn Merriness in 2020

In 2020, the Mid-Autumn Festival is on October 1st. This festive day falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Year (a.k.a. the Chinese Calendar). Second only to the Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival holds agricultural importance because of the harvest and season of growth for a new year of crops. On this special day, the moon cake is popular and families gather to eat hot pot as well as dumplings and more traditional Chinese dishes. 

Available in the Armacost Library and in the digital holdings:

   

More literature is available when searching other terms such as "moon cake" and "Chinese festivals", so take a look through our catalogs and when we don't have that you want, let us know and we can see if we can find it through InterLibrary Loan! 

Also, feel free to join an event that the UofR Asian Student Association is putting on:

Happy eating and exploring! 

Banned Books Week Events

Banned Books Week celebrates our freedom to read, by highlighting banned or challenged books! Lots of events are happening virtually during Banned Books Week, and anyone is welcome to attend.

Banned Books Week Events

Redlands Community Readout     

    Tuesday, September 29, 6:00–7:30pm    

    Via Zoom, Meeting ID: 839 9254 4422, Password: 898064 

Help to build a virtual reading community at the U of R and across the city by sharing a “banned” book to raise awareness of censorship in the U.S. Read aloud a passage from your favorite challenged book. Novels and Nonfiction, pre-select 2-3 paragraphs; Picture books and Graphic Novels 2-3 pages. Listeners welcome!

    Sponsors: Diversity Initiatives, Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, Armacost Library, and Friends of the A.K. Smiley Public Library

Redlands Community Book Drive    

    Monday, September 28 – Friday, October 2, 10:00–12:00pm 

Drop- off your gently worn books in a bin at Hunsaker Lounge. ALL books will be donated to high schools in Redlands and in Ghana. Lavern Clerk’23 (in photo, left side), a global business major has been collecting and donating book since she was in high school.

Bless Me, Ultima: A Banned Book Discussion

    Wednesday, September 30, 6:00–7:30pm 

    Via Zoom, Meeting ID: 890 8579 5230, Password: 898064

Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima (Warner Books, 1972) is classic coming-of-age novel with strong elements of magical realism. It is consistently challenged for reasons including: “occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence” as reported by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Join a panel conversation on the rich literary heritage of Anaya’s work in an age of censorship. This program is open to the whole city of Redlands.
    Sponsors: Diversity Initiatives, Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, Órale, Armacost Library, and Friends of the A.K. Smiley Public Library

Banned Books Week 2020: Virtual Art Workshop with Duan Kellum from SKOOL BOIZ

    Thursday, October 1, 5:00–7:00pm

    Via WebEx
    Literary expert Jeffery Summers says it best, “Fahrenheit 451 is a novel based in a dystopian society that burns books to control dangerous and unhappy concepts.” The burning of books is the ultimate form of censorship. By evolving the iconic number 451, the temperature at which paper burns, we are stating that we understand that there are still elements that want to censor what we read, say, hear and even think.
    Our project will be broken up into two parts. In part one participants will create a stencil and put it on a shirt. University of Redlands community members can download and print the stencil image here. You can either wait until the workshop to cut it out or feel free to do this before our meeting. Secondly, we will create a message about censorship as it relates to a piece of literature. Participants are asked to select a book that is/was banned and recreate the book cover or take a favorite quote from a piece of literature that is/was banned. In addition, participants are also encouraged to create an original image/graphic depicting censorship. This will culminate in taking either the image/graphic or original art piece and create iron-on. Using basic materials participants you will transfer the image onto a garment, tote or other material.
    What you will need: Crayons, sand paper (medium grit), scissors, newspaper/scrap paper, iron, construction paper, X-acto knife, fabric paint/ink, stencil/dabbing brush, table covering/protection, drawing paper, pencil/pen, banned book, and -t-shirts, tote bag, or material to print on (2 per participant). 
    Sponsor: Diversity Initiatives and Johnston Center for Integrative

And Tango Makes Three
    Monday, October 5, 4:00–5:00pm 

    Via Webex 
For Banned Books Week and Coming Out Week, the Pride Center will host a reading of “And Tango

Makes Three,” a children’s book about gay penguins living at the Central Park Zoo. These penguins, Roy and Silo, mate for life and raise a family together. Following the reading, we will discuss the story. Why was it challenged, and what effect does banning LGBTQ+ books have on queer youth? 

    Sponsor: Pride Center

Finally, the top 10 most challenged books of 2019, from data collected by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, are as follows. When available at the Armacost Library, a link is provided to the book record - make use of our curbside pickup program to check out these books:

• George by Alex Gino Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased
• A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning
• Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth Reasons: Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate” 
• Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint
• I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
• Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling Reasons: Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
• And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content