Banned Books Week flier that encourages students to fight for their right to read.
Collection of classics at main campus library that is often banned or challenged.
Story and Photo Credits By Hilary Broman
Staff Reporter
CNM libraries have set up displays to celebrate Banned Books Week from September 25 to October 1, said Varina Kosovich, CNM library outreach coordinator and reference specialist.
Banned Books Week is an annual event put on by the American Library Association which celebrates the freedom to read, Kosovich said.
Each year many books are banned or challenged in the U.S for various reasons ranging from anti-family to violence or graphic images, she said.
Some books at the main campus library display include: And Tango Makes Three, which was banned for being anti-family and having a possible homosexual agenda; Beyond Magenta, which is about transgender teens; and Bless Me Ultima, which is considered to contain satanist content, Kosovich explained.
Westside and Montoya libraries also have a banned books display, she said.
Many of these books are not banned from college or university libraries because they tend to encourage more open thought but these books are more likely to be banned from elementary, middle, and high school libraries as well as public libraries, she said.
“I think as a library our main priority is to offer as much information as we possibly can without censoring it,” Kosovich said. “If we censor one thing what’s to stop us from censoring another?”
School is about students learning, exploring and forming their own opinions, she said, and reading is a part of that process.
There have been many positive reactions from the book display so far, she said.
Many students have been curious and asking questions about banned books week which is what the display was intended to do, she said.
“We just want to bring attention to how sometimes people around the country don’t have a limitless freedom to read whatever they want,” Kosovich stated.
From 2000-2009, 5,099 challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom according to ALA.org. Here are the top eight reasons and the number at the bottom represents the number of challenges for each reason. Infographic credit: Heather Hay
Students can go to the American Library Association website to see this year’s list of banned books and reasons why they were banned as well as past lists, Kosovish said.
Students can also search #bannedbooksweek on Twitter and Instagram to view different displays around the country, she said.
Kosovich said that if a book is banned it is more likely to draw people in.
“If you tell me something is banned I’m going to read it,” she said.
Elections for nine open positions in the Executive Council of students will be held on Friday September 30, said Tisha Hudetz ECOS president.
The open positions include: budget officer, administrative officer, satellite representatives for Montoya, South Valley and other campuses and 4 council members, Hudetz said.
Students interested in joining the council can fill out an application form at the dean of student’s office or the student activities office on main campus, Hudetz said.
The commitment for all ECOS members is a 2-year term, she said.
The council are looking for students who are able to represent the diverse nature of the CNM student body, Hudetz said.
The requirements to become a member of the council are as follows: the willingness to be an active student representing on at least one CNM standing committee; have some degree of leadership experience including leadership on the job, volunteer experience, or involvement with other student activities; the willingness to be introduced to the student body in the form of an article written in the CNM Chronicle and the ability to maintain a 2.5 GPA minimum, Hudetz explained.
“As representatives of the student body, we are held to a high standard. Active participation and serious consideration are key,” Hudetz said.
A committee made up of one student from the current council, one student who is a member of another CNM student organization, one faculty member and the Dean of Students, Hudetz stated, will choose new council members.
Current council member Tim Turner is in the running for the budget officer position, Hudetz said.
“I am looking forward to what the future will bring,” she said.
The CNM bookstore helped students save $420,000 by offering rental options at all three bookstore locations last year, said Ann Heaton, CNM bookstore area manager.
This year the bookstore is offering to price match other major bookstore vendors to help students save even more money, Heaton said.
Book prices can prevent students from succeeding, Heaton said.
If a student is using financial aid to purchase their books then they either have to buy it full price at the bookstore or wait for their disbursement check to arrive in order to get a discounted price, which is already 3-4 weeks into the term, she said.
They decided to start offering the price match program to help students stay within budget, to make sure that they can help them prepare for success of their higher education career, Heaton stated.
Now students do not have to wait for the books to be shipped to them from Amazon or Chegg, she said.
“We are willing to price match for them right here, right now,” Heaton said.
The goal of the price-matching program is to help further drive the expense of course material down for students to give them a better chance for success, she said.
The price matching system was implemented in the spring term of 2016 but this term it has risen in popularity, Heaton said.
Many students have been excited about it.
“We had one girl who was literally in tears because we price matched for her,” she said.
The price match is given to students in the form of a CNM bookstore gift card, Heaton said.
The students pay full prices for the books and we give them back the difference, she said.
The gift cards never expire and can be used at all of the campus bookstore and café locations, she said.
“We really are committed to doing our best to try to save students as much money as possible because we only want to see them succeed,” Heaton said.
They have been seeing a lot of success from this across the board and Heaton foresees this being an ongoing thing, she said.
