Rock Island, IL - Rock Island Public Library and the Midwest Writing Center will partner to celebrate the freedom to read with a Banned Books Week Reception and Reading next Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.
The Rock Island Library event begins at 6:00 pm with a public reception. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm, readers will celebrate their First Amendment rights by offering public readings from their favorite banned or challenged works. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Content of some readings may not be suitable for all ears.
Attendees may also show their support for intellectual freedom by entering to win Banned Books merchandise, such as cups, bookmarks, pins, bags, t-shirts, and more.
Banned Books Week is an annual event, held this year from Sept. 22 to 28. Since 1982, Banned Books Week has rallied librarians, booksellers, authors, publishers, teachers, and readers of all types to celebrate and defend the freedom to read. Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from library shelves and from classrooms. The list of banned or challenged works includes classic novels of the 20th Century, such as The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read. For a full list of Banned or Challenged Books, and more information on why books on the list were challenged, visit the Banned Books Week Web site at http://www.ala.org/bbooks/
For more events at Rock Island Library, visit the library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow the library on Facebook or Twitter, or call 309-732-7323 (READ).
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