The UVU Library Speaks Freely

Twenty-five years ago this week, controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe passed away. Nearly every one of Mapplethorpe's shows sparked outrage and debate about whether his photographs were art or pornography. This week, we're sharing some of our books about Mapplethorpe's life and work because one of the missions of the Library is to protect intellectual freedom. This means that the Library does not shy away from collecting material because it might offend someone.

Books about Free Speech

Books about the First Amendment and freedom of speech can be found throughout the Library's collection. Most of them are in our constitutional law section, but others are in art, literature, and history. These books look at important cases in American history in which the right to free speech was challenged. Many of them highlight the tension between the right of expression and offensive speech.

LexisNexis Academic

LexisNexis Academic is a popular legal database that contains thousands of district, federal, and Supreme Court cases; legal articles; state and federal laws; and much more. It also contains a news archive that goes back to the mid-1970s. The database's interface is complex, so please feel free to visit us at the Reference Desk if you have questions.

Photography Books

Section TR contains our books about photography and collections of photographers' work. You can find more Mapplethorpe here, as well as work by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Alfred Stieglitz, and many others.