Exhibit - "Book Scandal of 1919": The Books

The passage of time heals many wounds. On September 16, 1927, the Bismarck Tribune published an editorial that pragmatically and eloquently speaks to this matter in regards to books. The article says:

• "It should not be forgotten that the prohibited books of yesterday are, in many cases, today's classics. Books which university students are given to read as part of their English courses once were hidden in dark corners and their publishers fined for issuing them."
• "In this age, as in every age, of course, there are some worthless books. But it is doubtful whether the perennial optimism and perpetual glossing over of actual facts, as typified by some books, is better than the honest and straightforward discussions of pressing problems with confront us."

Today, over 100 years later, all of the books that were called into question during the 1919 incident are available to the public online. These books have been digitized and uploaded by reputable and prestigious institutions, for reasons such as the preservation of history, understanding and discussion, and research and education. The books are hosted within online repositories from the Library of Congress, Internet Archive, and HathiTrust.