NRHS Students Create Posters for Banned Books Week

Students in Ms. Kerry Sharkey’s Graphics class at New Rochelle High School created posters for the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation’s Banned Books Week awareness campaign, with three earning special recognition: Amalia Cardo’s poster was awarded first prize, with Elysee Abraham’s work selected for Second Prize and Brittany Arena’s poster chosen for Third prize.

“All of the posters were colorful and creative,” observed Theresa Kump Leghorn, a member of the Banned Books Week committee. “But what was most exciting was to see the students’ passion for the subject translated into impactful graphic design.”

Graphics teacher Kerry Sharkey says she used the initiative to offer her students a brief lesson on censorship and involve them in a discussion about how artists can use their art to create awareness in their communities -- and even the world over. “Visual art is a fundamental component of the human experience, reflecting the world and the time in which we live,” says Sharkey. “Art can help us understand our history, our culture, our lives, and the experience of others in a manner that cannot be achieved through other means. At a time when basic freedoms are being challenged, or taken away, we wanted to let students know that they have an important voice in the conversation. Using their Graphic Art skills is a great tool to help them relay their point of view thoughtfully.”

Created by the American Library Association, Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted. Banned Books Week 2022 will take place September 18th through 24th, with the theme "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." spotlighting the current attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. According to the ALA there were 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, with most of the targeted books by or about Black or LGBTQ+ persons.

The NRPL Foundation hopes to draw attention to the dangerous growth in book banning across America. “By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week is a way to raise awareness about the harms of censorship,” says Chris Selin, President of the NRPLF. For more about Banned Books Week visit the NRPLF website at www.nrplfoundation.org and ala.org/bbooks.