Some of the trashed books from the New College of Florida Photo: X video screenshot
Last week, the New College of Florida suddenly threw many library books to the garbage, primarily those that formerly belonged to its now-defunct Gender and Diversity Program.
The dumping of the books was revealed on social media by Herald-Tribune reporter Steven Walker, who provided a video and photos of the event. Among the books thrown out include a book on the Hebrew language, The War of the Worlds, a book about women’s bodies, Cures: A Gay Man’s Odyssey, and various books about feminism and about Black culture.
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DEVELOPING: New College of Florida dumped hundreds of library books this afternoon.
The school also emptied the college’s Gender and Diversity Center, tossing hundreds of their books.
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Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said the incident is a mass act of censorship.
“We vehemently condemn the reprehensible actions taken by New College of Florida, where hundreds of library books—including those concerning LGBTQ+ studies—have been unceremoniously discarded, destined for a landfill. This is not merely an administrative oversight; it is an intentional act of censorship that strikes at the heart of our democratic values and the very purpose of education,” Jackson said.
Students report that they were not notified of the books being thrown out.
The university responded in a statement, “The New College Library is following its longstanding annual procedures for weeding its collection, which involves the removal of materials that are old, damaged, or otherwise no longer serving the needs of the College.”
“Gender Studies has been discontinued as an area of concentration at New College, and the books are not part of any official college collection or inventory. When the books were not claimed for pickup from the room, they were moved to a book drop location by the library where they were later claimed by individuals planning to donate the books locally,” the college wrote.
The university claims that they could not donate or sell the books to anyone, however according to the Herald-Tribune, this was in fact something they were legally authorized to do.
This comes in light of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2023 law that restricts diversity programs at universities. DeSantis has regularly opposed diversity, equity, and inclusion in state educational institutions and workplaces.
Jackson continued, “These actions are nothing short of a cultural purge, reminiscent of some of history’s darkest times, where regimes sought to control thought by burning books and erasing knowledge. The fact that these books—sources of wisdom, diverse perspectives, and the narratives of marginalized communities—were discarded in the dead of night, without transparency, and without giving students the opportunity to preserve them, should outrage every Floridian and every American who values democracy and free thought.”
