Library, High School artists celebrate Banned Books Week

The Hassenfeld Library proudly celebrates the freedom to read, which is the freedom to seek knowledge and to hear new perspectives, even when they challenge our ideas. This year, for Banned Books Week, we’ve decorated the library with a large, eye-catching banner that declares “Censorship Is So 1984.” Directly underneath this banner, we are displaying a work from the Unbannable Library, a community art project founded by USN parent Paul Collins. Created by five students in Emily Holt’s Book Art class last spring, this is an oversized, interactive book featuring frequently challenged titles that the students chose for their significance, all connected to the theme of “rebellion.” Their artwork is a testament to the power of books, not just to entertain or to teach us, but to inspire and connect us.

Victor Peng ’26, one of the artists who created the book, explains: “As Americans, we take pride in living in one of the freest nations in the world. Because our country is made up of people from diverse races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and personal experiences, we should all be guaranteed the right to read what interests us. The freedom to read strengthens community and generational storytelling, amplifying the voices of those who might otherwise go unheard. It is both a privilege and a resource for understanding how our world works together. Although the Founding Fathers upheld deep pride for liberty, that ideal is often lost when division takes hold. Reading is not a threat but a lens into our past and a cultivator of knowledge. Education guides us toward the future, and reading places us at the starting line. To be free is to read.”