The Unbannable Library is a collection of books that are intentionally oversized, often exceeding the standard size of a typical book. These oversized books are then displayed in public spaces, making them impossible to ignore. The project aims to challenge the censorship of books and promote free speech.
These bills, often referred to as “parental rights” bills, have sparked controversy and debate across the state and beyond. The bills, which have been passed in recent years, are designed to give parents more control over what their children learn in school. However, critics argue that these bills are not about parental rights but rather about political agendas and censorship. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
+5 Banned Together: How Book Censorship Is Affecting Tennessee Talking to librarians, advocates, activists and students about state and local book bans and book challenges Collins sees book bans as more than just a response to mature words in texts, but as a way for those in power to suppress the experiences of others. “That’s a problem for me — who’s trying to encourage my students to trust their life experiences and to make art based on it,” says Collins, who teaches in APSU’s Department of Art and Design. Collins’ big books range in size from around the height of a bedside table to a whopping 6-and-a-half feet. They’re made using a variety of materials such as bamboo reed fencing, muslin, chicken wire and more. They feature page-like canvases that people are encouraged to interact with by turning.
The books will be filled with a range of art and text inspired by banned books. **Detailed Text:**
The concept of “banned books” evokes a powerful sense of censorship and the suppression of free expression. These books, often deemed controversial or challenging, have been removed from libraries, schools, and bookstores due to their content. However, the spirit of these banned books, their themes, and their impact on society, continue to resonate.
“Our liberation is directly tied to being able to have access to each other’s voices — to debate it, to disagree, to allow it to move us and change us,” says Rouse, who also hosts a regular banned-book club with Aria Cavaliere at The Blue Room at Third Man Records. Tennessee State University assistant professor in art education Mike Mitchell is leading a handful of students in filling their own book through his Art and Social Practice class. Not only will the students fill the book with their own contributions, but they are also inviting other students and artists to fill it. Mitchell says he hopes to counter the restrictive nature of book bans with a sense of openness for the project.
A similar topic comes up in conversations with both the TSU students and Rouse and Seapker — this country’s history of limiting (and even at times criminalizing) Black people’s access to books and literacy as a form of suppression. Tanyah Lowery says that as a student attending a historically Black university, joining the project and learning about censorship feels particularly important. Likewise, classmate Ramaya Lee-Mosely discusses pushing past feelings of nervousness to speak up on the topic in order to inspire others. As book censorship fosters a culture of fear and hesitancy among librarians who could face legal ramifications for doing their job — or frustration for those seeing books they love being restricted — it has also sparked civic engagement. From people seeking out banned books and creating book clubs, to others protesting book censorship and initiating community art projects, the restrictive climate has generated renewed energy around challenged texts, and the Unbannable Library seeks to harness that momentum.
Collins says he hopes his project will get more people into libraries to play around with these “big, goofy, joy-filled books.”
