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Doheny Memorial Library, first-floor Treasure Room
September 26–December 16, 2008
Biblioclasm presents items from the USC Libraries’ special collections that survived hysteria and outrage incited by the ideas they contain. Book burnings in ancient China, Medieval Europe, and Nazi Germany—and acts of censorship in American public schools—are a spectacular reminder of the persistent suppression of ideas. Featuring works by a surprising group of authors, including William Shakespeare and Confucius, the exhibition dramatizes the potential loss to our cultural heritage had they fallen to the ageless urge to censor.
- Browse the exhibition catalog (pdf).
- View drawings by USC School of Architecture students inspired by banned literary works in the exhibition.
- Read "Banned and Burnt Books," a personal essay by philosophy librarian Ross Scimeca.
- View a map of recent attempts to censor books in California.
- Explore the topic further in a USC Libraries research guide.