By Ace Grado / Staff Writer

As part of Banned Books Week, Missouri Valley College will host Navigating Censorship in K–12 Schools at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6, 2025, in the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning.

The event will be led by Sarah Otto, librarian at Marshall Public Schools, and organized in partnership with Murrell Library & Academic Support Center.

“As a school librarian, I am passionate about fair and equal opportunities for all students,” Otto said. “Book banning takes away the rights of students to read whatever they choose. I believe all students should be able to make the choice of what to read, not just what others deem appropriate.”

Event organizer Dr. Daniel Wright, evening library assistant at MVC, said he wanted to bring Otto to campus because of her “expertise and pool of knowledge,” adding that education majors could especially benefit.

“We used to be coworkers,” Wright said. “She’s had firsthand experience with a challenged book in her library that was considered controversial.”

Wright also emphasized the role students play in supporting intellectual freedom.

“Books can be viewed in two different ways,” he said. “They’re all different kinds of windows into the world.”

Otto encouraged communities to speak out.

“It is always a good idea to back up your opinion with facts,” she said. “Policy makers are loud and convincing, but when communities stand together to fight against them, it is powerful and effective.”

The presentation aims to give attendees practical tools and insights on how to address censorship and advocate for students’ rights in both K–12 and higher education.