A downloadable game for Windows and Android

This VR experience will transport you into The Banned Book Library. In the school year of 2021-2023, around 4,000 book bans were created among public schools in the United States. These forbidden books thrive here, defying censorship and finding new life amongst controversy.

The Banned Book Library is a VR interactive art installation inviting users to step into a vast library housing approximately 2,000 books, each banned from American public schools in 2021-2022. By placing participants directly in a space filled with titles marked as controversial, the experience sparks critical questions: Why were so many books banned? Why these specific works? Through VR, the installation confronts visitors with the reality of censorship, encouraging them to consider the implications of limiting access to knowledge, stories, and diverse perspectives.

In this immersive experience, users can approach any book, pick it up, and examine details like the title, author, and the time and place of its banning. Yet, they can't open and read the book—a reminder that censorship restricts access, even when the knowledge is within reach. The library itself is designed with an atmosphere that feels both historic and abandoned: unsettling piano music, skewed paintings, and forgotten chairs amplify a sense of disruption, as if the space itself has been suddenly vacated.

The project’s evolution into VR was driven by user feedback, which revealed that a more immersive medium would deepen its impact. Test participants unexpectedly began constructing sculptures and arrangements from the banned books, reflecting a powerful message: human creativity endures and transforms, even when faced with attempts to stifle thought and innovation. This emergent, user-driven engagement highlights the resilience of creative expression, showcasing how, even within restrictions, people find ways to create, connect, and challenge barriers.

This project was sponsored and displayed at the Arts and Entertainment Technologies showcase in April 2024, where visitors were able to access the immersive Banned Book Library experience firsthand. The installation offered a unique opportunity for participants to engage directly with themes of censorship, creativity, and resilience through VR.