MCC Libraries

The Brighton Campus Library will be open: Monday, November 24, from 7:45am to 8pm. Tuesday, November 25, from 7:45am to 8pm. Wednesday, November 26, from 7:45am to 2pm. Closed from Thursday, November 27, through Sunday, November 30.

The Downtown Campus Learning Commons will be open: Monday, November 24, from 8am to 4pm. Tuesday, November 25, from 8am to 4pm. Wednesday, November 26, 8am to 2pm. Closed from Thursday, November 27, through Sunday, November 30.

Please note the hours for Thanksgiving week at MCC Libraries. libguides.monroecc.edu/about/hours

#MCCLibraries

The table display with a glass top and sides contains six books and some seasonal decorations such as a bunch of red and gold autumn leaves, a 2-deminsional wooden pumpkin that says "Happy Harvest," a 2-dimensional wooden pilgrim couple, and a flat paper cut-out with a few gourds including an orange pumpkin and the text "Happy Thanksgiving."

Signage on the wall above the display says "Happy Thanksgiving," and "gratitude" written in black script on peach and gold colored paper.

Books inside the display case on the left side include a cookbook opened to a recipe for roasted turkey with barley stuffing and a photo of a whole roasted turkey on a plate surrounded bowls of cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, bread rolls, and other side dishes; the children's book T is For Turkey; Thanksgiving: The American Holiday; and a children's book opened to pages saying, "So they all sat down and gobbled up the pizza," "And it was Turkey's best Thanksgiving ever!" with illustrations of those scenes.

Books on the right side of the display case include Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story; and a children's book opened to pages illustrating a child signing the words "Wind. Cold. Leaves. Thanksgiving soon" underneath a scene with two children jumping into a pile of autumn leaves while a turkey walks by, followed by illustrations of a child signing the words, " Apples. Corn. Nuts. Yum! Thanksgiving soon." underneath an illustration of a turkey walking by boxes and bags of those food items.

Happy Thanksgiving from MCC Libraries! Visit the Downtown Campus Learning Commons before recess to see our display about the holiday and check out some reading material for if you'll travel or have time off.

www.monroecc.edu/depts/library/

#MCCLibraries #Thanksgiving

Chill, Plan, Write: Preparation for Finals. Visit the TAAC for support with final exam planning and help in structuring your papers. You can visit several stations that cater to different stages of your finals preparations. If you're unsure where to start or need guidance on your process, we're here to help! Swing by any station you need help with: creating a study plan, brainstorming and outlining ideas, crafting paragraphs, citation and credible resources, and/or revising your work.

Tutoring & Academic Assistance Center (TAAC) & Library Presents Finals Planning & Writing Support Event!
Dates: Tue. 11/18, Wed. 11/19, & Thu 11/20. Time: 12:30pm-1:30pm each day. Location: Brighton Campus, Room 11-106 (TAAC).
Snacks & prizes! No appointment necessary – walk-ins encouraged!

Research can feel tricky, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. The Library is offering Open Research Labs, relaxed drop-in sessions where you can get help from librarians on whatever you’re working on, finding sources, reading articles, citing, or using AI tools. Each lab starts with a quick 15-minute mini-lesson to get you oriented, then plenty of open time to ask questions or get one-on-one help. Bring your group for group research projects! This week’s session, The Citation Game, led by Dax Parasnis-Samar, Instructional Technologies Librarian, turns citation sleuthing into a hands-on activity. Students will decode mystery citations to track down real sources using library search tools and online clues.

Coming up this Wednesday: the Citation Game at the Library's Open Research Lab! Date: Wed., Nov. 19. Time: 12pm to 12:50pm. Location: Brighton Campus Library, Building 2, Room 423. #MCCLibraries #OpenResearchLabs

The winner of the 2025 Veterans Day Poster Contest is Jeremy D. Carpenter. Jeremy’s creation, entitled Unified by Service, reflects the 2025 Veterans Day theme “Service to Our Nation” by visually uniting all uniformed services under one flag and one purpose. Jeremy describes his artwork as “formal, structured, and patriotic. It pays tribute to all Veterans regardless of when or where they served, and it emphasizes that service to the nation is not confined to one uniform, one battlefield, or one generation. The eagle, flag, and seals work together to portray unity, honor, and a continued commitment to freedom.”

Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service.

department.va.gov/veterans-day...

#VeteransDay

The table-top display case has a glass top and sides with 10 books, a puzzle box, and puzzle pieces strewn about inside. On the wall behind and above the display case, there are three signs, and the center one is from the Safe Harbor Children's Advocacy Center and says, "Child Abuse Awareness: There is no excuse." There are 5 images on top of the display case portraying open or holding hands on square, colored paper.

Books on the left side of the display case are: Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect; Children for Hire; Child Abuse Sourcebook; Predators and Child Molesters, and Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection.

Books on the right side of the display case are: Keeping American Schools Safe; The Victimization of Children; Breaking Free, Starting Over; Counselling Skills for Working with Trauma; and Family Pride. The puzzle box is for a 100-piece SpongeBob SquarePants puzzle showing SpongeBob driving a go-cart in Bikini Bottom.

Another sign has overlapping blue and yellow speech bubbles, which are green in the overlapping area, where it says, "Smarter parents. Safer kids."

The current display at the Downtown Campus Learning Commons provides information about child abuse awareness and advocating for children's safety. Books from this display can be checked out: please ask at the information desk. For additional resources, visit www.cacgroc.org

#MCCLibraries

MCC Libraries are open today (Saturday) at the Brighton Campus from 11am to 4pm, Monday from 7:45am to 8pm, closed on Tuesday in observance of Veterans Day, and regular fall semester hours resume on Wednesday, November 12.

libguides.monroecc.edu/about/hours

#MCCLibraries

Two students sitting on the floor in front of Dr. Walker, who is seated on a lounge chair outside the LeRoy V. Good Library. Both students are holding one of Yankee's ears as Yankee chews on a plush toy. Yankee is a golden Labrador.

Diane is smiling at the camera as she stands behind Dr. Walker while a student sitting on the floor pets Yankee. Another student is holding a dog treat and sitting in a lounge chair next to Dr. Walker.

Yankee is in the process of rolling over to earn a treat from the student sitting on the floor, while Diane, Dr. Walker, and a student watch.

Yankee placed his right-front paw on the right knee of the student sitting in the lounge chair, while Diane, Dr. Walker, and the student sitting on the floor watch.

Yankee received lots of love (and treats) today from Dr. Beth Walker, Diane, and students!

Therapy Dogs at LVG schedule: Marilyn will bring Taz on Wednesdays from 11:45am to 12:30pm, and Dr. Beth Walker will bring Yankee on Fridays from 12:45pm to 1:45pm.

#MCCLibraries #TherapyDogs

The Monroe County Board of Elections logo has the Statue of Liberty torch with red, white, and red striped flames emerging from a base encircled by 4 white stars on a blue field, adjacent to the phrase, "You're Right To Vote."

It's Election Day: you are right to exercise your right to vote! Make a plan to go to your polling place and learn what's on your ballot this year. We have links to help you in our guide on Civics, Election, & Voting: libguides.monroecc.edu/civics

#MCCLibraries #ElectionDay

Jung Hae Chae is a Korean-American writer and the author of the forthcoming memoir-in-essays, Pojangmacha People, winner of the 2022 Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize. Previously, she won the Emerging Writers Contest in nonfiction from Ploughshares and the annual Nonfiction Award from Crazyhorse. Jung Hae’s writing can be found in AGNI, Guernica, New England Review, Ploughshares, swamp pink (formerly Crazyhorse), and in anthologies including the Best American Essays and the Pushcart Prize collection. She has been supported through fellowships from MacDowell, Millay Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Sustainable Arts Foundation, as well as scholarships from Bread Loaf, Sewanee, Community of Writers, among others. When not writing, she likes to cook and hike with her daughter in Northern New Jersey. The event is free and open to the public. Zoom link for remote access to workshop: https://monroecommunity.zoom.us/j/84886922767?pwd=pH7SEi6xH5j69bQEj2dbaXdGY1XbhY.1

On Wednesday 11/5 MCC Creative Arts and the Office of Student Life & Leadership Development present visiting creative non-fiction writer Jung Hae Chae, 12-2:50pm in 8-200 at the Brighton Campus. For more information and a pre-recorded non-fiction reading, visit: www.monroecc.edu/organization...

The 1:00 clock emoji is visible under a transparent 2:00 clock emoji, with an arrow between hour hands indicating that it's time to "fall back" one hour at the end of Daylight Saving Time.

Don't forget: Daylight Saving Time ends tonight at 2am, so we'll "fall back" one hour. An extra hour is plenty of time to learn more from NIST: www.nist.gov/pml/time-and...

#DaylightSavingTime #FallBack

Research can feel tricky, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. The Library is offering Open Research Labs, relaxed drop-in sessions where you can get help from librarians on whatever you’re working on, finding sources, reading articles, citing, or using AI tools. Each lab starts with a quick 15-minute mini-lesson to get you oriented, then plenty of open time to ask questions or get one-on-one help. Bring your group for group research projects! No registration required—Just show up! All sessions will take place a LeRoy V. Good Library.

The Library’s new Open Research Labs series continues next week with Find Better Sources, Faster. Search smarter, not harder, with simple strategies for finding credible sources quickly.

Date: Wed. 11/5
Time: 12-12:50pm
Location: Brighton Campus Library, Room 2-423

#MCCLibraries #OpenResearchLabs

An artificial jack-o'-lantern is illuminated by a light bulb. It sits atop a shelf, over which a scarecrow is perched. The scarecrow is wearing an orange burlap overalls, a green hat, and a patterned shirt. A black sign hanging on the wood-paneled wall behind them has several gold stars, black and white photos from and of the library, and says "Welcome to the LeRoy V Good Library."

Happy Halloween from MCC Libraries! Come see our smiling scarecrows & jovial jack-o'-lantern behind the Welcome Desk, where we keep our course reserves to treat you to textbooks, calculators, & more goodies you can use in the library.

www.monroecc.edu/depts/library/

#MCCLibraries #Halloween

The crane is extended to 7 segments as it lifts a unit up above the 4-story tall library building on a sunny Tuesday with a clear, blue sky.

A closer view of the crane and a pickup truck parked on the lawn outside the Campus Center as the crane is lowering the unit on top of the library. Opened wooden crates are stacked on the sidewalk.

Looking at the crane, Campus Center, and Library from in front of the MCC sign on the concrete wall outside the Campus Center.

Looking up at the crane and the library through the gold and green colored leaves on the trees next to the patio adjacent to the library and Campus Center.

Please be advised that essential maintenance involving a crane will be conducted on the exterior of the library 10/27–10/29. Traffic flow & access around the library may be temporarily affected. We appreciate your cooperation as we work to maintain our campus facilities (Philip Oettinger).

Library Open Research Labs, Wednesdays, 12 to 12:50pm, Brighton Campus Library, Room 2-423. October 29: AI Prompting Basics. November 5: Find Better Sources, Faster. November 12: Speed Read Research. November 19: The Citation Game. December 3: Research Refresh. No registration required—Just show up! All sessions will take place a LeRoy V. Good Library. Research can feel tricky, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. The Library is offering Open Research Labs, relaxed drop-in sessions where you can get help from librarians on whatever you’re working on, finding sources, reading articles, citing, or using AI tools. Each lab starts with a quick 15-minute mini-lesson to get you oriented, then plenty of open time to ask questions or get one-on-one help. Bring your group for group research projects! For more information: 585-292-2303.

NEW starting Wed. 10/29: Open Research Labs, relaxed drop-in sessions where students can get 1-on-1 help with any part of the research process. No sign-up is required. Wednesdays, 12 to 12:50pm, Brighton Campus Library, Room 2-423 #MCCLibraries #OpenResearchLabs

Student Resource tile in myMCC.

Health and Wellness tile in the Student Resource tile in myMCC.

myWellness Portal tile in the Health and Wellness tile in the Student Resource tile in myMCC.

Free Flu Vaccine Clinic menu in the myWellness Portal after clicking in the Health and Wellness tile in the Student Resource tile in myMCC. The Counseling, Disability & Health Services Office is partnering with the Monroe County Department of Public Health to offer a FREE Flu Shot Clinic for any interested MCC students this week. The clinic will be run on a walk-in basis, but students are strongly encouraged to pre-register through the MyWellness Portal to help ensure the county brings enough flu vaccines for everyone interested. Please bring photo ID and Insurance Card if you have one (not needed if you don't). Date: Thursday, October 23rd. Time: 1:00pm to 3:30pm. Location: Health Services Office 3-165.

Free Flu Clinic for Students! No insurance? No problem! This clinic is open to all currently enrolled MCC students, regardless of insurance status. Protect yourself and your community—get your flu shot and help keep our campus healthy this season!

www.monroecc.edu/mccannou.nsf...

Every Outfit Is a Language Without Words. Check out Fashion, Design, and its History here on the 4th floor in the TT section. A mannequin is dressed in a vintage lilac-colored dress with a wrap around the waste and shawl over the shoulders, both the same color as the dress, and a violet-colored headband with fishnet and ribbons, also violet. Books on display include: Stepping out : The Unapologetic Style of African Americans over Fifty; Fashion: Examining Pop Culture; Forties Fashion : From Siren Suits to the New Look; The Little Black Book of Style; Dress Codes; Illustrating Fashion: Concept to Creation; Fashion, Culture, and Identity; Sex and Suits; Shoes; The Costume Accessories Series; Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys from the Girls in America; Fashion Illustration; The Face of Fashion; Fashion: Oxford History of Art; In an Influential Fashion; World Clothing and Fashion : An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence; Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen; Contemporary African Fashion; Paris Fashion : A Cultural History; Clothes and the Man; and Fashion! A Study of Clothing Design and Selection, Textiles, the Apparel Industries, and Careers. Hanging on the wall behind the display is colorful abstract artwork by Sam Francis with red, yellow, blue, and black shapes of paint on a white, textured background.

A big yellow sign on the wall welcomes visitors to the 3rd floor and reminds them that it's the quiet floor (shhhh), we won't shush you anywhere but here! Our Memories, Our Memoirs: a narrative composed from personal experience, every memoir reminds us of the faraway and long ago, of loss and change, of persons and places beyond recall - Abigail McCarthy. The tall whiteboard asks for your story in 6 words: everyone's story matters! Can you write yours in only six words? Some examples include: Became librarian on dare, now love; Loving yourself is accepting your flaws; Reinvention is the key to longevity; All I do is study; Art will save the world; I, too, am bad at counting. Books on display include: The Dead Eye and the Deep Blue Sea; The Home That Was Our Country; I Can't Keep My Own Secrets; Sure, I'll Join Your Cult; The Man Who Could Move Clouds; Boat Baby; Fatherland; Picking Cotton; Brothers of the Gun; Oath and Honor; The Girl Who Sang; Writing Life Stories; The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld; Memoir from Antproof Case; Madame Secretary; Fighting Back; and Never Again Will I Visit Auschwitz.

The fashion display and the memoir display at the Brighton Campus Library are a hit! You can see them as soon as you exit the elevator on the 4th and 3rd floors, respectively. #MCCLibraries

A reading list with several articles you can access via MCC Libraries' databases is also available from the NYSDEC here: dec.ny.gov/about/dei/na...

#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #IndigenousHeritageMonth

"...who deeply enrich their communities and the quality and character of the nation, including the many Native American veterans who have sacrificed to defend this country." – @dec.ny.gov

Learn more about what this upcoming month observes by visiting our display at the Downtown Campus LC.

The glass table-top display case features ten books, a couple small woven baskets, a few flyers about Native American Heritage and Ganondagan State Historic Site, and decorative Shutterstock printouts depicting Native American people and design patterns. Books from the display can be checked out; please ask at the Information Desk.

One of the flyers posted on the wall above the display case is entitled Honoring Native American Heritage: A Journey Through Rich Traditions. "Native American culture is a beautiful tapestry woven through centuries, rich with history, art, and spiritual beliefs. Each tribe has its own unique traditions, languages, and customs that contribute to the overall diversity and heritage of these indigenous peoples. By understanding and celebrating these traditions, we can foster a deeper appreciation for their contributions to our society. Embracing these cultures allows us to learn from the past and promote unity and respect." reallygreatsite.com

Books inside the display case on the left side include: Where WHite Men Fear to Tread; Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask; Native American Folktales; Powwow: Photographs by Ben Marra; and a book open to two pages with illustrations depicting various Native American attire from different tribes and different climates.

Inside the display case on the right site are brochures from Ganondagan State Historic Site; a book open to a page with an abstract illustration of blue waves and the text, "We come from water. It nourished us inside our mother's body. As it nourishes us here on Mother Earth. Water is sacred, she said;" the book My Heroes, My People: African Americans and Native Americans in the West; War Against the Seneca: The French Expedition by John Mohawk; Spirit Moves: The Story of Six Generations of Native Women; and Native American Animal Stories Told by Joseph Bruchac.

We observe National Native American Heritage Month in November as "a time to recognize the traditions, languages, & stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, & affiliated Island communities. It is also a time to celebrate the diverse culture & heritage of Indigenous Peoples..."

Cami is wearing a white sweater with horizontal black stripes and holding a clear cup full of popcorn. On the table in front of her is the MCC Library Trivia board with 9 questions arranged in 3 rows by 3 columns, a basket of snack bars, stickers, and other goodies, and yellow raffle tickets with stars. On the easel to her left is "Library Pong" with 7 cups ranging in point values from 10 to 50 and labeled Study Rooms, Printers, Librarians, books, computers, comfy furniture, and textbooks.

Here is Librarian Cami testing students' knowledge at the academic carnival today with MCC Library Trivia and Library Pong!

Posted in the Daily Tribune by Anthony Leuzzi (English and Philosophy). Philip Metres is the author of twelve books, including Fugitive/Refuge (Copper Canyon, 2024), Shrapnel Maps (Copper Canyon, 2020), The Sound of Listening: Poetry and Refuge and Resistance (University of Michigan, 2018), Sand Opera (Alice James, 2015), and I Burned at the Feast: Selected Poems of Arseny Tarkovsky (Cleveland State, 2015). His work - poetry, translation, essays, fiction, criticism, and scholarship - has garnered fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Watson Foundation. He is the recipient of the Adrienne Rich Award, three Arab American Book Awards, the Lyric Poetry Prize, and the Cleveland Arts Prize. Metres has been called “one of the essential poets of our time,” whose work is “beautiful, powerful, magnetically original.” He is professor of English and director of the Peace, Justice, and Human Rights program at John Carroll University. He lives with his family in Cleveland, Ohio. Additionally, the Creative Arts Committee has archived a 35-minute video of Metres reading portions of Shrapnel Maps. In this video, the poems appear on screen as he reads them. https://monroecc.video.yuja.com/v/GuestSpeaker_PhilipMetres_PoetryReading

Tomorrow, 12-12:50pm in room 8-100, visiting poet Phil Metres discusses portions of his critically acclaimed book Shrapnel Maps, a sensitive and humane investigation of themes connected to the Palestinine-Israel war. Sponsored by: Creative Arts Committee of MCC. Free & open to the public.

The logo for Let Freedom Read Day is a graphic of a profile of an open book with pages open to blooming colors of red, blue, pink, red, yellow, orange, and blue. UniteAgainstBookBans.org/let-freedom-read-day/

Today is the Let Freedom Read Day of Action, when communities unite against book bans. The freedom to read is shared American value, a cornerstone of democracy, and the right of everyone, no matter their color, background, zip code.

#LetFreedomReadDay #BannedBooksWeek #UniteAgainstBookBans

Censorship is so 1984. Read for your rights. Oct. 5-11, 2025. BannedBooksWeek.org

Censorship by the Numbers. The American Library Association documented another year in an unabating deluge of efforts to censor library materials in 2024, continuing an extremist campaign to suppress access to books that began in 2021. Last year, 2,452 unique titles were challenged, the third highest number ever documented by ALA and significantly exceeding the annual average of 273 unique titles over the period from 2001–2020. Learn more at ala.org/bbooks

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024. The American Library Association documented 821 attempts to censor materials and services at libraries, schools, and universities in 2024. The most common reasons for challenges were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and dealing with topics of race, racism, inclusivity, equity, and social justice. Of the 2,452 unique titles that were challenged or banned in 2024, here are the top 10 most frequently targeted. 1. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. 2. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. 3. (TIE) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. 3. (TIE) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. 5. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins. 6. (TIE) Looking for Alaska by John Green. 6. (TIE) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. 8. (TIE) Crank by Ellen Hopkins. 8. (TIE) Sold by Patricia McCormick. 10. Flamer by Mike Curato.

Banned Books Week is Oct. 5-11, 2025. Censorship is so 1984. Read for your rights. ala.org/bboks

"The 2025 theme of Banned Books Week serves as a reminder that censorship efforts persist to this day," ALA President Cindy Hohl said. "We must always come together to stand up for the right to read."

#BannedBooksWeek #UniteAgainstBookBans

Dr. Beth Walker sits looking cozy in a purple sweater and green skirt with a mosaic pattern including blue and yellow. Two students sit on the floor to visit with Dr. Walker and Yankee, who is laying down and wearing a bow tie on his collar with pumpkins on it.

Here's the schedule for Therapy Dogs at LVG: Marilyn will bring Taz on Wednesdays from 11:45am to 12:30pm, and Dr. Beth Walker will bring Yankee on Fridays from 12:45pm to 1:45pm.

We're happy to see Yankee and Dr. Beth Walker until 1:45pm today, October 10! #MCCLibraries #TherapyDogs

The letters A and I in heavy, bold, serif font. The A is green and the I is blue, in FLCC colors.

Recognize: Identify where AI exists in your world and how it can be useful. Investigate: Explore AI tools and their potential. Supercharge: Leverage AI to enhance creativity, productivity, and decision-making potentiating your actions. Exchange: Collaborate with AI in a dynamic, interactive way, blending human expertise with AI's capabilities.

There is still time to join the MCC AI Challenge! This free, hands-on program, designed by faculty and staff at FLCC, is ideal for beginners and includes 10 short, practical challenges, starting the week of October 13. Sign up at: www.aichallenges.org/mcc/

The poster for Banned Books Week 2025 features a man and a woman setting at a large open book emitting 4 speech bubbles with musical notes, a paintbrush and palette, a typewriter, and a megaphone and picket sign with a heart on it.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The books featured on this poster represent authors, artists, and others who have faced persecution, imprisonment, exile, or death for sharing their ideas. During Banned Books Week, Amnesty International USA works in solidarity with the American Library Association (ALA) and in partnership with the Banned Books Coalition to promote and advocate for freedom of expression. In 2013 the ALA recognized Amnesty International with the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award: "For an approach to Banned Books Week that focuses on the logical consequences that follow when governments are allowed to censor .. beyond the removal or burning of books comes the removal and physical harm to authors, journalists and others."

Freedom Pages: a youth banned books art and literature competition. 1st prize: $300. 2nd prize: $200. 3rd prize: $100. Accepting submissions: September 15 - October 15, 2025. Open to youth (under 25). Prompts and submissions: amnestyusa.or/campaigns/aiusa-freedom-pages/

Freedom of Expression is a Human Right. Learn more about Amnesty International's Banned Books Week action to defend freedom of expression: bit.ly/amnestybanedbooksweek2025

#BannedBooks #AmnestyUSA

The American Library Association documented 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials and services at libraries, schools, and universities in 2024. The most common reasons for challenges were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and dealing with topics of race, racism, equity, and social justice. Of the 2,452 unique titles that were challenged or banned in 2024, here are the top 10 most frequently targeted. 1. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson 2. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe 3. (TIE) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 3. (TIE) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 5. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins 6. (TIE) Looking for Alaska by John Green 6. (TIE) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews 8. (TIE) Crank by Ellen Hopkins 8. (TIE) Sold by Patricia McCormick 10. Flamer by Mike Curato

Every year, @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books based on reports from the field and media coverage. Learn more at ala.org/bbooks

MCC Libraries has each of these books in our collection and on display. Visit us to check one out! #BannedBooksWeek

Sponsored by MCC Creative Arts and the Office of Student Life and Leadership Development. The flier for the events features a portrait of Kristen Gentry and a background with colorful silhouetted faces in shades of sunset colors ranging from red to purple. Kristen Gentry is the author of Mama Said, longlisted for the 2024 PEN/Robert W. Blingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection. She received her M.F.A. from Indiana University. Her award-winning fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and appeared in Electric Literature, Crab Orchard Review, and other journals. She lives and writes in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Kristen Gentry is the author of Mama Said, longlisted for the 2024 PEN/Robert W. Blingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection. She received her M.F.A. from Indiana University. Her award-winning fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and appeared in Electric Literature, Crab Orchard Review, and other journals. She lives and writes in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

See visiting fiction writer Kristen Gentry at the following events:

Tonight: fiction reading from 7pm to 8pm in Monroe A on the Brighton Campus.

Tomorrow: fiction workshop from 12:00 noon to 12:50pm in Building 8, Room 200 on the Brighton Campus. Free and open to the public.

kristengentry.com

Last year, 2,452 unique titles were challenged, the third highest number ever documented by ALA and significantly exceeding the annual average of 273 unique titles over the period from 2001–2020. Who challenges books? Nearly 72% of censorship attempts in 2024 were initiated by pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by them. The majority of library censorship can be tied to organized campaigns. Pressure groups and the administrators, board members, and elected officials they influenced targeted 4,190 total titles in 2024. From 2001–2020, this constituency attempted to remove an average of 46 titles per year. Where do challenges take place? Multi-title challenges at schools remained alarmingly expansive in 2024. The trend of attempting to censor materials and services available to entire communities through their public library continued. Books and Beyond. Books are not the sole target of attacks orchestrated by pressure groups and government officials. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 821 censorship attempts in 2024. Here’s the breakdown: 76% Books and graphic novels; 6% Hate crimes (Vandalism, theft of materials representing marginalized groups); 6% Displays; 3% Programs; 3% Access (Library closures, funding, bomb threats); 2% Films; 4% Other. Number of Unique Titles Challenged by Year. Various factors contributed to the decline in reported censorship attempts in 2024, including legislative pressure, intimidation of library workers, fatigue, and attrition. 2024: 2,452; 2023: 4,240; 2022: 2,571; 2021: 1,858; 2014: 183; 2004: 390. Percentage of Total Titles Targeted by Pressure Groups and Decision Makers, 2001–2024. Pressure groups and the decision makers they influenced targeted 4,190 total titles in 2024. From 2001–2020, this constituency attempted to remove an average of 46 titles per year. 2024: 72%; 2020: 25%; 2015: 14%; 2010: 8%; 2005: 6%.

The @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social documented another year in an unabating deluge of efforts to censor library materials in 2024, continuing an extremist campaign to suppress access to books that began in 2021. Learn more at ala.org/bbooks

#BannedBooksWeek