Celebrate the Freedom To Read!

September 26, 2011

What do The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, and Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl have in common? Each of these titles has been challenged by various groups and, in some cases, has been banned from schools and libraries.

September 24th through October 1st is Banned Books Week, an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. The American Library Association conducts Banned Books Week to promote intellectual freedom, a concept that MCPL supports. Intellectual freedom is "the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular." In this context, assuring the availability of all books, regardless of their viewpoint, is extremely important and, as such, is upheld in the Library Bill of Rights.

In honor of Banned Books Week, find the power in literature and read a banned book that, thankfully, has not been censored. Defend your freedom of speech!

Jessica S.
Colbern Road Branch