Controversies & Context

"The books the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." - Oscar Wilde

Intellectual freedom empowers you to think for yourself!

Does the setting of a book or the personal experiences of an author justify the complaints levied against them?

Are books like I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The Color Purple too upsetting for required reading? Or does banning these books silence black authors who expose the prevalence of gendered, sexual, and racial violence?

An illustration of a black bird flying above an orange and yellow sunrise.

Does the presence of sex and profanity in a work of literature encourage readers to act "inappropriately?" Or is it simply an honest reflection of reality?

Fluffy white clouds in a bright blue sky.
A vintage photograph of a Truman Capote book display.
A purple and black box set collection of “Brave New World’ and “Brave New World Revisited.”
A photograph of a woman with shoulder-length red hair and a black dress standing in a forest.

Do Animal Farm and 1984 promote Communism? Or do they warn against the dangers of Totalitarianism?

Are the racial epithets present in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn insensitive and offensive to contemporary readers? If the epithets are only said by ignorant or bigoted characters, does the novel criticize people who currently use them?

Free Speech* *Conditions Apply

Library materials are vetted based on the adopted ACC Library Services Collection Development policy. As part of the ACC collection, these materials are available for currently registered ACC students, faculty, and staff.