Miami, Sept. 1, 2022 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Learning Resources Department joins librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, educators, and readers everywhere to celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, Sept. 18 – 24.
MDC’s libraries are dedicated to increase awareness of the annual celebration of the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in the 1980s and advocates to draw national attention to the harms of censorship.
Below is a list of MDC Banned Books Week events:
ALL WEEK
OverDrive Special Collection: “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”
A collection of banned and challenged titles in eBook and eAudiobook format. This year’s chosen theme by the American Library Association highlights how “books and information bring people together, help individuals see themselves in the stories of others, and aid the development of empathy and understanding for people from other backgrounds.” Virtual event.
Banned Books Week: Book Display at all campuses
Learning Resources will display a selection of the “most challenged books” throughout the years up to 2022. The books featured during this week have been targeted for restriction or removal from libraries and schools.
Hialeah Campus
Library, Room 1400
1780 W 49th Street
Hialeah, FL 33012
Homestead Campus
Library, Room D101
500 College Terrace
Homestead, Fl. 33030
Kendall Campus
Library, Room 2230
11011 S.W. 104th St.
Miami, Fl. 33176
Meek Center
Library – Room 1103
6300 NW 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33150
North Campus
Library, Room 2101
11380 N.W. 27th Ave.
Miami, Fl. 33167
Padron Campus
Library, Room 6011
627 S.W. 27th Ave.
Miami, Fl. 33135
West Campus
Library – Room 1124
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Wolfson campus
Library, Room 1216
300 N.E. 2nd Ave.
Miami, Fl. 33132
Choose Your Own Banned Book Adventure
Romance, action/adventure, current events, cultural exploration, spirituality, and so much more. Let’s find a banned book for you today with this online activity! Hosted virtually by the Hialeah Campus.
The Banned Books Matching Game
Discover why books have been challenged. At the Learning Commons, a magnetic board will be displayed, with the titles of books on one side, and the rationale for censorship on the other. Students are encouraged to match the books with the rationale.
Homestead Campus
Library – Room D 101
500 College Terrace
Homestead, FL 33030
Get Caught Reading a Banned Book!
Celebrate your freedom to read! Pick your personal favorite banned book and take a photo at our mug-shot selfie station all week. Share photos with others to raise awareness.
Kendall Campus
Library – Room 2230
11011 SW 104th Street
Miami, FL 33176
To Ban or Not to Ban…
Examine a triptych of the 171 challenged books in Florida and ask yourself – Is there ever a good reason to ban a book? Give your answer anonymously with a red chip in the “Yes” jar, or a blue chip in the “No” jar. Check back all week and see how your fellow students feel.
Kendall Campus
Library – Room 2230
11011 SW 104th Street
Miami, FL 33176
You Have the Right to Remain Private: Control and Access of Your Personal Health Information
In the healthcare profession, there is some information that cannot be shared. During Banned Books Week, the Medical Campus is leveraging the national spotlight on banned books to answer these questions:
- What health information do you personally have the right to access?
- Is health information your responsibility to keep private?
September 18 – 24, outside the MDC Medical Campus library, a bulletin board will display the importance of avoiding HIPAA violations with examples of common errors in practice.
Medical Campus
Library, Room 1202
950 NW 20th Street
Miami, FL 33127
Your Private Health Information: An Infomercial
Faculty Librarian Carla Clark and Academic Writing Coach Kelly Hernandez produced a brief infomercial which informs the campus and community on how to access one’s own health information and keep it private and secure. This video educates the community on the benefits of accessing one’s personal medical history to make better and more informed choices. This infomercial is posted on the MDC Medical Campus social media pages such as Instagram and Facebook.
Hosted by Medical Campus
Library, Room 1202
950 NW 20th Street
Miami, FL 33127
Caught with a Banned Book? Take Your Mugshot!
Select a copy of your favorite banned book and strike a pose for the camera—time to have your mugshot taken!
West Campus
Library, Room 1124
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Meet Your Match: Date Night with a Banned Book
Using wrapping paper, iconic banned and challenged books will be masked. With only a short description of the book and why it’s been banned or challenged, students will be able to blindly meet their match and check them out for a night on the town.
West Campus
Library, Room 1124
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Sharing Thoughts: “What book would you fight to keep in the library?”
Join in by sharing your favorite banned book title and/or your thoughts on what book you would fight to keep in libraries. A board will be displayed to share your ideas.
Hosted by West Campus
Library, Room 1124
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Monday, Sept. 19, 12 pm
Movie Adaptations of Banned Books: The Great Gatsby
Watch and discuss classic movie adaptions of challenged books. Why were these books challenged? Why were they made into movies? Light refreshments will be served.
Wolfson Campus
Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Tuesday, September 20
9:50 am
Zines: Shining a Light on Censorship
Tiffany Walker, a librarian from Padron, will discuss how zines, self-published works, can combat censorship. In this presentation, she will discuss the perils of censorship, the birth of zines, and their use. At the end, she will lead an activity in which participants create their own zine.
Virtually and at North Campus
Library, Room 2101-08
1138 NW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33167
12 pm
Movie Adaptations of Banned Books: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Watch and discuss classic movie adaptions of challenged books. Why were these books challenged? Why were they made into movies? Light refreshments will be served.
Wolfson Campus
Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
1 pm
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The Padron Campus Literati Book Club presents TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea storytelling. Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours. Hosted virtually by Padron Campus
Wednesday, Sept. 21
10 am
Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us. Spotlight on The Hate U Give: A Presentation by Dr. Adeyiga
Challenged titles and themes will be discussed during this presentation, including the film The Hate U Give, adapted from Angie Thomas’s debut novel by the same title and inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Hosted virtually by Hialeah Campus.
12 pm
Comic Books – Innovative! Exciting! Daring! And… dangerous? The MDC Graphic Novel Group invites you to join in a lively discussion of the historical, and on-going, battles faced by graphic novels and comics – from “Seduction of the Innocent” and senate committee hearings in the 1950’s, to the modern-day attacks on “Maus” and more! Hosted virtually by the Graphic Novel Group.
Banned Books Week Celebration
Learning Resources and the West Campus Lit Club to host Banned Books Week activities at the Monumental Stairs on campus. Join us for:
- Meet Your Match: Date Night with a Banned Book
- Like a Banned Book? Check it out!
- Take a Mugshot with Your Banned Book
- Come Watch a Film Based on a Banned Book!
West Campus
Monumental Stairs
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Movie Adaptations of Banned Books: Game of Thrones
Watch and discuss classic movie adaptions of challenged books. Why were these books challenged? Why were they made into movies? Light refreshments will be served.
Hosted by Wolfson Campus
Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Thursday, Sept. 22
9:50 am
Zines: Shining a Light on Censorship
Padron Campus Librarian Tiffany Walker will discuss how zines, self-published works, can combat censorship. In this presentation, she will discuss the perils of censorship, the birth of zines, and their use. At the end, she will lead an activity in which participants create their own zine.
Hosted virtually and at Meek Center
Library, Room 1103
6300 NW 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33150
12 pm
Movie Adaptations of Banned Books: Bridge to Terabithia
Join us to watch and discuss classic movie adaptions of challenged books. Why were these books challenged? Why were they made into movies? Light refreshments will be served.
Hosted by Wolfson Campus
Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Read the Resistance: Banned and Challenged Books Display
Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, Learning Commons, Room 6011
627 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
Visit the Learning Commons to pick up a Banned Book and celebrate the freedom to read.
Constitution Week Celebration Display
Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, Learning Commons, Room 6011
627 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
Learn more about the Constitution and the First Amendment through the display of books and other materials during Constitution Week.
Banned Books Week Book Display
Entrepreneurial Education Center, Library, Room 1202
6300 NW 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33150
The books featured have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools.
Banned Books Display Featuring Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement
Hialeah Campus, Learning Commons, Room 1400
1776 W 49th Street
Hialeah, FL 33012
Learn about the “Library Bill of Rights,” which embodies the basic policies that guide libraries in the provision of services, materials, and programs and the “Freedom to Read Statement,” which defines the responsibilities of publishers and librarians to protect Americans’ freedom to read.
Banned Books Matching Game
All Week
12 p.m.
Hialeah Campus, Learning Commons, Room 1400
1776 W 49th Street
Hialeah, FL 33012
Play a game to see if you can match books to the reasons why they were Banned. Winners will be entered in a giveaway. Students who check out any Banned Book will receive an additional entry into the giveaway.
Banned Books Week Display
All Week
Homestead Campus, Learning Commons, Room D101
500 College Terrace
Homestead, FL 33030
Interactive display featuring books that have been banned.
“Stand for the Banned” National Read Out
All Week
Homestead Campus, Learning Commons, Room D101
500 College Terrace
Homestead, FL 33030
Make a video reading a Banned Book or talk about censorship in front of a green screen. Staff will assist in editing and submitting the video for a chance to be featured on the “Banned Books Week” YouTube Channel.
Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign
All Week
Homestead Campus, Learning Commons, Room D101
500 College Terrace
Homestead, FL 33030
Join the Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign, which is hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. During Banned Books Week. Readers are encouraged to write (or tweet) to their favorite Banned or Challenged authors, sharing what their stories meant to them. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about books that are threatened with censorship, support authors, and encourage thoughtful discussions about the power of words and how essential it is to have access to a variety of viewpoints in libraries.
11 Most Challenged Banned Books of the Past Year Gallery Exhibit
All Week
Kendall Campus, Library, Student Exhibit Area, Room 2245
11011 Southwest 104th Street
Miami, FL 33176
View blowups of book covers of the current “11 Most Challenged Books of the Past Year,” as well as additional book displays of historically most-challenged titles.
Interactive Guessing Game featuring Banned Books
All Week
Kendall Campus, Library, Building 2, on the Second Floor
11011 Southwest 104th Street
Miami, FL 33176
Books displayed in plain brown wrapping will feature clues to their identity. Students can enter guesses on a provided form and drop them in a collection box at the Circulation desk. Two winners will be drawn.
Banned Books Week Display
All Week
North Campus, Library, Room 2101
11380 NW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33167
Celebrate Banned Books Week with Learning Resources. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools.
Banned Masterpieces Display
All Week
West Campus, Library, Room 1125
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
View an exhibit of famous literature masterpieces that at some point in history were Banned or Challenged.
“Caught Red Handed” Selfie Station
All Week
West Campus, Library, Room 1125
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Students and staff are invited to grab a prop and take selfies reading their favorite Banned Books.
Banned Books Display
All Week
Wolfson Campus, Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Enjoy a selection of Banned Books titles to check out.
Where in The World Are Books Banned?
All Week
Wolfson Campus, Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Scan a QR Code on a world map to find Banned Books throughout the globe.
Mugshot Photo Booth Contest
All Week
Wolfson Campus, Library, Room 1216
300 NE Second Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Take a selfie with your favorite Banned Book. Contest Rules: upload the photo to your Instagram, tag @mdcwolfson, use hashtags: #BannedBooksWeek & #BeMDC, and add location “Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus”. Tell all your friends. The photo with the most likes wins a prize – Instagram profile needs to be public on Friday, September 27th (during contest drawing).
‘Free People Think and Read Freely!’ Escape Room Event
All Week
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Wolfson Campus, Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Students can register to join a team or compete individually at: www.mymdc.mywconline.net Staff will assist the team to solve the puzzle to Free Their Intellectual Freedom Rights within 45 minutes.
Monday, Sept. 23
Incognito Brown Bag Activity
8:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.
West Campus, Library, Room 1125
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
A food-for-thought activity in which students are invited to guess the title of a Banned Book hidden inside a brown bag based on clues written outside.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Read the Resistance on Wheels
5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, Building 1 Breezeway
627 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
Come check out library display of Banned and Challenged Books on the go!
Banned Books Florida: Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, Learning Commons, Room 6011-19
627 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
Join the Padron Literati Book Club to discuss ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston.
Presentation by Professor Bennie Perdue
9:50 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.
Entrepreneurial Education Center, Library, Room 1202
6300 NW 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33150
Additional discussion groups and presentations will be held throughout the week to discuss the reason why some books were banned from libraries.
Bruised Purple Hearts: Ghosts of the USA Book Unveiling
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Homestead Campus, Learning Commons, Room D101
500 College Terrace
Homestead, FL 33030
Author Jerry Blanton will unveil his new book Bruised Purple Hearts: Ghosts of the USA.
Medical Books: Banned, Recalled and Objectionable
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Medical Campus, Library, Room 1202
950 NW 20th Street
Miami, FL 33127
The Medical Campus will celebrate the freedom to read with a display of Banned Medical Books. Members of the staff will be available to discuss issues related to this topic. Students will be able to scan QR codes and access specific information on why these books were banned.
Banned Books Week Presentation by Professor Steven Kronen
9:50 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.
North Campus, Library, Room 2101
11380 NW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33167
Steven Kronen, Faculty Librarian, will present on a topic related to Banned Books Week. Mr. Kronen is a published author whose work has appeared in The New Republic, The American Scholar, Poetry, Agni, APR, Little Star, The Georgia Review, Ploughshares, Slate, The Yale Review, and The Three penny Review. He has received an NEA, three Florida Individual Artist fellowships, the Cecil Henley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America, the James Boatwright Prize from Shenandoah, and fellowships from Bread Loaf, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conferences.
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Found Poetry to Combat Censorship
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Padron Campus, Learning Commons, Room 6011-31
627 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
Create protest poetry and art through redacting text, also known as blackout poetry or found poetry. Visit the Learning Commons to get inspired, push the boundaries of expression to tell your truth, and combat censorship. Presented by Librarian Isabel Duque.
Self-Censorship
9:50 a.m. – 11 a.m.
West Campus, Room 1119
3800 NW 115th Avenue
Doral, FL 33178
Join a discussion about censorship led by Faculty Librarian Steven Kronen.
Stand for The Banned Live Reading
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Wolfson Campus, Library, Room 1216
300 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Join Wolfson Librarians as they Stand for The Banned recording their live reading from Banned Books. Videos will be submitted for a chance to be featured on the “Banned Books Week” YouTube Channel.
Thursday, Sept. 26
Censorship: The Birthplace of Dystopias
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, Learning Commons, Room 6011-31
627 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
This presentation explores how the suppression or prohibition of any voice or form of expression is the breeding ground for dystopian societies. We will look at historical, literary, and cinematic worlds in which censorship plays a role in dehumanizing and environmentally wrecking all existence. Presented by Librarian Isabel Duque.
Friday, Sept. 27
Banned Books Matching Game Drawing
12 p.m.
Hialeah Campus, Learning Commons, Room 1400
1776 W 49th Street
Hialeah, FL 33012
Drawing will take place and a winner will be announced.
Interactive Guessing Game Drawing
12 p.m.
Kendall Campus, Library, Building 2, on the Second Floor
11011 Southwest 104th Street
Miami, FL 33176
Drawing will take place and two winners will be announced.
Mugshot Photo Booth Contest Drawing
12 p.m.
Wolfson Campus, Library, Room 1216
300 NE Second Avenue
Miami, FL 33132
Tallies will be counted and a winner will be announced.