Libraries & Digital Learning

Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut

Category: Library Collection

Free Speech and the Power of Expression

November 6, 2025 /

What does it mean to speak freely, and who gets to decide where the limits lie? This month’s library display explores the evolving story of free speech through history, activism, media, and higher education. From the outspoken activism of Emma Goldman to the digital disinformation era, these books highlight how expression has shaped (and been shaped by) democracy, identity, and power.

The display features over 60 titles, including A Dangerous Woman: The Graphic Biography of Emma Goldman, Cheap Speech, Freedom for the Thought That We Hate, and Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime. Together, they trace the freedom of opinion from the early 20th century to today’s online debates and campus dialogues.

For college students, free speech isn’t just a constitutional topic… it’s a lived experience! It grounds academic freedom, fuels activism, and challenges each of us to listen, debate, and learn in a diverse community. In a time of rapid information exchange and deep polarization, these books encourage reflection on how expression can both empower and endanger, connect and divide.

Visit the display in the library this month to explore the many sides of free speech; past, present, and future.

All are welcome to browse, reflect, and join the conversation.

 

More Than Just a Display, Celebrating the Freedom to Read

October 7, 2025 /

Banned Books Week is here, and this year we’re taking it to the next level. The library team has put together a big, bold display and a full week of events to celebrate the freedom to read and to explore stories that have been challenged, banned, or restricted in schools and libraries around the world.

You’ll find the display in the library all month long, packed with books that have sparked debate and conversation—from classics like The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, & Slaughterhouse-Five, to newer titles like The Hate U Give, Fun Home, Gender Queer, and Harry Potter. Some books include a short note explaining why it was banned or challenged, and we think you’ll be surprised by some of the reasons. The goal isn’t just to show what’s been censored, but to celebrate why these stories matter and why access to all voices is worth protecting.

Throughout the week, we’re also hosting a series of events for anyone who wants to get involved, learn something new, or just have some fun. On Monday, October 6, drop by the Cave Patio for an all-day read-out of 1984. You can listen, or grab the mic and read a few lines of one of the most famous banned books of all time. On Tuesday, stop by Level A for Blind Date with a Banned Book—pick a mystery book wrapped in paper, check it out, and take home a surprise story. On Wednesday, come to the A Level Gallery for the opening of Celebrate People’s History, a poster exhibit honoring social justice movements and the people who made them happen.

The week wraps up on Thursday, October 9, with a visit from Emily Drabinski, librarian, professor, and past president of the American Library Association. She’ll give a talk called “Beyond Book Bans: Building Power for the World We Want” (with lunch provided!), followed by a hands-on zine-making workshop in the afternoon and a reception to close out the day.

All events are free and open to everyone, and you’re welcome to drop in for any part that interests you. Whether you stop by the display, read a banned book, make a zine, or just join a conversation, you’ll be part of a campus-wide celebration of curiosity, creativity, and the freedom to read.

Semester in Motion: Explore Helpful Resources on Level A

September 10, 2025 /

The semester is well underway, and now’s a great time to pause, catch your breath, and see what Trinity College Library has to offer. Our “Back to School” book display on Level A is packed with resources to help support your college journey.

Whether you’re just finding your rhythm in college life or looking for ways to sharpen your study skills, this display has something for everyone. You’ll find:

  • College Prep & Academic Readiness: Crack the Code: A Guide to College Success for First Gens, College Rules!, The Freshman Survival Guide
  • Digital Literacy & Research Skills: Digital Paper, Where Research Begins, The College Student’s Research Companion
  • First-Year Student Wellness & Mental Health: Self-Care for College Students, College Student Mental Health and Wellness, Fast Focus, Communication Skills for Healthier Boundaries
  • Adjusting to College Life & Social Skills: The Naked Roommate, Goodnight Dorm Room, Connecting in College, Sex, College, & Social Media

Take a few minutes to stop by Level A, browse the books, and maybe even check one out. Whether you’re tackling classes, making friends, or just figuring out college life, these resources can help you feel a little more confident and prepared. And as always, our  staff is here to help you find exactly what you need!

New E-Resource Selection: What Makes the Cut?

September 12, 2024 /

The bulk of the library’s collection budget goes towards purchasing perpetual access or maintaining subscription to e-resources of many varieties.  But how do librarians decide which new resources to add?  There are three main factors that drive our electronic resource acquisition: enhancing the existing collection, proactive selection of resources that relate to Trinity’s unique scholarship needs, and responses to requests of students and faculty for research support.

Streaming video resources are in high demand and when librarians learned that a new set of videos was being offered as an add on to the PBS Video Collection the library already owned we jumped at the opportunity.  Experience told us these videos would be well used and a preview of the title list showed they were logical compliments to the videos already in the collection.  In addition, this collection is often the only place where PBS releases some videos for streaming, so we knew there would be exclusive content unavailable anywhere else.  All these factors told us that the purchase would be a direct enhancement to the library’s existing streaming video offerings.

PolicyMap was a statistical database the library considered in the past, but declined due to content overlap with similar resources like Social Explorer.  But when a representative reached out with exciting updates on unique new datasets relevant to urban studies, climate studies, and environmental justice studies, among others, librarians thought it prudent to request a trial to take another look.  This new data clearly supported the research needs of several disciplines and this combined with PolicyMap’s more user-friendly interface compared to our other statistical databases convinced the librarians this would be a worthwhile subscription.

It can be said that the most valuable resource helping librarians identify new electronic resources to purchase is the Trinity community itself.  This is how librarians learn about some truly unique specialty resources like Human Relations Area Files: World Cultures, an ethnographic database with information on all aspects of cultural and social life for a wide variety of cultures and ethnic groups.  Similarly, it was due to a faculty member’s report that librarians learned a previously open access journal incredibly important to ethnographic theory in anthropology, HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, was placed behind a paywall and a subscription was duly purchased.  Just as librarians are an irreplaceable resource for students and faculty research projects, students and faculty are also invaluable partners in helping librarians identify relevant and useful resources that fulfill our collection development goal of supporting current scholarship.

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