In 1949, a small group of Scarsdale residents, known as the Committee of Ten, began attending school board meetings and requesting the removal of certain books from the High School library. They argued that these books were subversive and were examples of Communist infiltration in the schools. They soon began targeting individuals who had been invited to speak or perform for students or teachers. The controversy gained national attention as part of a wave of McCarthyism affecting public schools, and only faded in 1954 when McCarthy himself was censured by Congress. The parallels between the Battle of the Books of the 1950s and issues of censorship in public schools today are striking, and provide a new perspective on our current issues.

On display in the Quiet Reading Room and Local History Center at the Scarsdale Public Library in September and October 2023.