Feinberg Screens ‘The Librarians,” Hosts Book Readings for Banned Books Week
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Feinberg Library will host a number of events to coincide with Banned Books Week, the annual nationwide effort celebrating everyone’s right and freedom to read, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6 with the screening of the film, “The Librarians,” 5-8 p.m. in 106 Hudson Hall.
The Sundance-premiere documentary explores the rising wave of book bans across the United States and the librarians, community members and young readers who work to defend intellectual freedom. A panel of librarians and educators will discuss the film and its message immediately following the screening. Panelists include:
- Feinberg Library Director Joshua Beatty
- Sarah Jennette, Clinton Community College head of library services
- Daniel Lake, professor of political science and director of the Institution for Ethics in Public Life
- Heidi Schnackenberg, professor and co-chair of education
- Ben Carman, Plattsburgh Public Library librarian
- Erin McGill, media specialist and librarian at Thomas E. Glasgow and Oak Street elementary schools
- Chris Chamars, coordinator of multicultural initiatives, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The annual Banned Books Read-Out will be held Thursday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon on the second floor of Feinberg. A Feinberg Library Banned Books Week tradition for close to 20 years, the event features members of the campus community reading selections from books that have been banned or challenged.
Open to all, visitors are encouraged to select books from the library’s featured collection on the second level as well as choosing a selection from the American Library Association’s list of books that are most often banned or challenged.
Every Thursday during October from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at various locations on campus and around the City of Plattsburgh, readers can participate in Quiet Reading Gatherings. Folks are encouraged to bring a banned or challenged book or any book they wish to read and settle in for a collective, quiet reading session.
Upcoming sessions and locations are:
- Oct. 8 — Clinton Community College, 2nd floor of the Moore Building
- Oct. 15 — Old Soul, 124 Margaret St.
- Oct. 22 — Chapter One, 30 City Hall Place
- Oct. 29 — Plattsburgh Public Library, 19 Oak St.
Banned Books Week was launched nationally in 1982 by the American Library Association and the Banned Books Week Coalition. This year, Feinberg partnered with offices across campus to celebrate the event, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, communication studies, the Honors Center, Clinton Community College and Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society.
Dr. Kirsten Isgro, professor and chair of communication studies, said she is excited to have a public screening of the film, “The Librarians.”
"One of the most hopeful aspects of this documentary is the acknowledgment that everyday people can positively change the course of history,” she said. “In these politically dark times, it's important to note that those of us who believe in freedom of expression and the right to read can stop censorship. We just need to make noise and show up.”
For more information on Banned Books Week events at Feinberg, contact Beatty at 518-564-5182, or email [email protected].
— By Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs
