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UT holds 18th annual Banned Books Vigil

All this week the University of Toledo is holding a book vigil to educate students on the topic of banning books.

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - All this week the University of Toledo is holding a book vigil to educate students on the topic of banning books.

It's 2015 and books are still being banned, which is why UT is holding its 18th annual Banned Books Vigil this week in Carlson Library.

The university says this week is a time to celebrate the freedom to read and to celebrate anti-censorship. The goal is to have students walk away with awareness about banned books and to give them an opportunity to read some of them, like 'The Color Purple' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.

UT Professor Glenn Sheldon says they want the students to think critically about the dangers of censorship and banning books. And while he says the main goal is to educate and expose students to these books, there's another topic that's becoming increasingly important.

"One of the things we're going to be talking about today are trigger warnings, which are a big issue in higher education. That professors are supposed to give trigger warnings about material that could be considered unsuitable to people who have been traumatized," said Sheldon.

Professor Sheldon says some examples are books that contain racism, homosexuality, sexual abuse and other issues readers face on a daily basis. He also says his main message is to read, right and think freely.

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