The library is taking part in a celebration of Banned Books week being honored this year by the American Library Association September 21 through September 25. Physical displays in the library highlight some of the most well-known books that were banned and are available in our collection.There is also a display with books by and about Wilhelm Reich, an Austrian-born researcher and prominent anti-Nazi who immigrated to the United States on the eve of World War II to avoid persecution. Less than two decades later, his books and published research journals were banned and burned by order of United States Federal Court. How that could have happened will be discussed in a:

Sandwich Seminar September 23: noon to 1 pm; Old Main Colloquium

“The True Story of a Government-Ordered Book Burning in America”

Dr. James Strick, ‘81 Franklin & Marshall College

Also: have a look at our latest libguide: Banned Books

PAWS for Stress Relief is returning to the library! Petting a dog relaxes the body and mind, so why not take a studying break for some canine love? Stop by the Library on Monday, May 5^th from 11am-3pm on the second floor to see the dogs.

Wednesday, April 23: 7:00 PM in Sperry 205

From Oscar®-and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick(This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Twist of Faith) comes The Invisible War, a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America’s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem—today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 22,800 violent sex crimes in the military in 2011. 20% of all active-duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted. Female soldiers aged 18 to 21 accounted for more than half of the victims.

Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of rape victims, The Invisible War is a moving indictment of the systemic cover-up of military sex crimes, chronicling the women’s struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. It also features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm of conditions that exist for rape in the military, its long-hidden history, and what can be done to bring about much-needed change.

Sponsored by: Memorial Library;  APAC: Voice for Sexual Health; Health Department;  Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee; Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Committee.

Monday, April 14 @ 4:30PM Jacobus Lounge

Joseph Bruchac, an Abenaki storyteller and author from the Adirondack mountain foothills, will read from his books and discuss his views on the Native American oral traditions. 

Joseph Bruchac lives in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished.

He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison.

He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.

Presented by the Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee, the event is free and open to the public.