Readers and friends of the written word have two opportunities to stand up for the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, Oct. 1-7, 2023. Banned Books Week is an annual national awareness event celebrating the freedom to seek out and express ideas.
Banned Books Week event include:
On Monday, October 2 at 7 pm, the Rock Island Public Library joins libraries across Illinois in co-hosting "Book Challenges on the Rise, How to Support Your Freedom to Read," via Zoom. The event is held in conjunction with Vernon Area Library District, and more than 75 other libraries.
In the free online event, Illinois Secretary of State / State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias will discuss the freedom to read with a panel of experts that include Monica Harris, Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) executive director, two Illinois authors, and a moderator. The event is free and open to all. Signup is required; to register, visit the Zoom registration page or the Rock Island Library's website calendar.
Giannoulias took office in January 2023, the start of what has been a challenging year for libraries. Across the country, school and public libraries have seen a dramatic rise in the number of requests to remove books from their shelves or restrict public access. In addition to Harris, Giannoulias will be joined in conversation by two Illinois authors whose books have been challenged: Jasmine Warga and Jarrett Dapier. Journalist Heidi Stevens will moderate the discussion.
Panelists will examine the current state of book challenges, Illinois’ legislative response, the implications of censorship on communities, and share how viewers can effectively support intellectual freedom. The webinar is offered as part of Banned Books Week, an annual national celebration of the freedom to read. The observance also highlights the value of access and draws attention to the harms of censorship.
On Thursday, October 5, The Rock Island Public LIbrary and the Midwest Writing Center join together to stand up for the freedom to read both in person and virtually at a special “read-out” at the Rock Island Public Library Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30th Street. The event starts at 5:30 pm with refreshments, and continues with live public readings from 6:00 to 7:30 pm of challenged or banned works. (A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials.)
Attendees may come to read or just listen. The event also includes free drawings for Banned Books buttons and other items that celebrate the freedom to read. For those who cannot attend or read in person, the event will also be presented online via the Midwest Writing Center YouTube page.
Readers run the gamut from local librarians, educators, writers, college students, and other fans of the written word. To volunteer for an in-person or virtual reading spot, contact Ryan Collins at the Midwest Writing Center, (309) 732-7330 or email mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org.
The event is free and open to the public. While the event is open to all, attendees should be aware that some readings will include mature content. For more information, visit the library website, call 309-732-READ.
About Banned Books Week: The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. A record 2,571 challenged titles in 2022 represented a 38 percent increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority tell the stories of Black or LGBTQ people or are by authors in those communities.
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Banned Books Week highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas. ALA is one of the founders of Banned Books Week and a member of the Banned Books Week Coalition, an international alliance of diverse organizations joined by a commitment to raise awareness about intellectual freedom issues and to celebrating and defending the right to read during Banned Books Week and beyond.