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    The early history of banned books is not all that different from censorship that still occurs all around the world today. When a book is banned or challenged what is actually controversial are the ideas expressed within its pages. Just as a book is one vehicle for ideas, banning books is just one segment of censorship. There are several motivations behind banning or challenging a book, including political, sexual, social, or religious grounds.

    The following selection of books chronicle several significant events in the early history of book banning. These nine authors’ ideas were considered objectionable to the point where authorities used repressive means to prevent their spread: some of these authors were banished or imprisoned, others were criticized and harassed and yet all continued to write no matter what the consequences.

    Their determination and courage is manifested in the works discussed here, the most controversial works in Drexel’s collection of rare books.

In 1984, Drexel made history with its Microcomputer Project, which required all incoming freshmen to purchase a personal computer. But computing at Drexel dates back to the very beginning of computer history. This exhibit traces the growing role of computers at Drexel and the University’s initiatives to provide access to the Drexel academic community.

This online exhibition pairs photographs taken by Drexel professor E. Lee Goldsborough in 1956 with images taken in correspondending locations in 2010 by his son, Ted.  When the Tidewater Granary exploded on March 29, 1956, Lee and Ted drove to campus and took these photographs, which show firefighters, rubble and the area surrounding the blast.  55 years later, Ted took new photographs at the site of the explosion. Such juxtaposed photographs are illustrated in the Yesterday and Today Section of this exhibit. The other sections feature the photographs of both professor Goldsborough and his son Ted and are arranged by location.