‘Sealed for Your Own Protection'

WESLACO — Library patrons will soon find some books that once were sealed and will now educate readers on the value of democracy, education and art.

Beginning Wednesday, South Texas College will present to its students and the community “Sealed for Your Own Protection,” an exhibit of banned books at the Mid-Valley Campus library at 400 N. Border Ave. in Weslaco.

Since 1982, the American Library Association has observed “Banned Books Week” during the last week of September to remind Americans to appreciate and defend their freedom to read.

Phyllis Evans, instructor and chairwoman of the department of visual arts and music, coordinated the exhibit and produced the artwork to highlight books that have been banned, challenged or censored from the public and schools for social,
political, moral or religious reasons.

“(The exhibit) is designed to celebrate these books and their importance and the right that we have to read them and hopefully not take that right for granted,” Evans said. “It’s one of the best things about being an American. It’s in our Constitution.”

Working with Evans for the past five months has been her colleague Sofia Vestweber, library art gallery associate, who has twice organized the project. The first was held last year at the Pecan Campus.

“We’re very thrilled to have this exhibit here at STC … and now it’s going to the Mid-Valley Campus in Weslaco,” Vestweber said. “It’s a celebration of intellectual freedom — freedom to read what you please and to have that ability to do as you please.”

For the exhibition, Evans wrapped 30 vintage books with encaustic, a mixture of beeswax and resin, and stamped the plastered pages “Sealed for Your Own Protection,” a message to prospective readers from an unidentified authority that the contents of the book are deemed unacceptable to read.

“The way she’s exhibited them, all covered in encaustic wax, it really gives us a sense of how it might have felt to not be able to read that book,” Vestweber said.

To further educate viewers about the books and the reason that they were banned or censored, Evans placed a library catalog card on the inside covers detailing the history of each book, some of the texts dating back to the 18th century.

Many of the books on display are books that have been challenged by public educational systems, parents and religious organizations, Evans said.

“I was appalled when I found some of the things that were on these lists,” Evans said. “Some of the books would just stun you.”

Banned literary works to be exhibited range from “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss, “The Rights of Man” by Thomas Paine, “1984” by George Orwell, “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley, “The Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin, “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger and “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.

“Sealed for Your Own Protection” run through Oct. 31.

“We’re here to serve the students and community and we’re delighted and thrilled to have her exhibit,” Vestweber said. “It’s a very thought-provoking, compelling and brilliant exhibit.”