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The Censorship and Intolerance exhibit is the first in a series of three themed digital exhibits showcasing artifacts from the Robert Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library. The 2016 exhibit Evil, Empathy, and Finding Humanity addresses the topic of censorship, and the 2020 exhibit, Twisted Intimacy, will center on the sexualization of children.

Our goal with these three exhibits is not to digitize the entire collection, but rather, to feature and promote further research in this rich archive. The aim of each exhibit is to highlight portions of the collection related to a core set of Cormier’s work with three novels for each digital exhibit. "Evil, Empathy, and Finding Humanity: Lessons from the Robert E. Cormier Archive" includes artifacts related to The Chocolate War, I Am the Cheese, and Fade. Robert Cormier’s work and influence in young adult literature are without question. To house his collection at Fitchburg State University is a privilege, and we would like to encourage more due attention to the collection by bringing a small portion of its treasures to the digital world and encourage further scholarly work.

We hope that users of the exhibit will not only benefit from its contents academically or even personally, but that they will share and comment on the work here. We imagine this exhibit as a base for developing conversations about Cormier, YA literature, and the subject of censorship more broadly.

As you move through the exhibit, note that we have arranged materials into five collections visible from the "Explore Archive Exhibits" on our top menu. As you open individual documents, keep in mind that clicking on a hyperlinked "tag" will bring you to a list of other documents in the exhibit with that same tag.