KU News Release

KU Libraries to host second banned books ‘read out’

LAWRENCE — Sections of banned books will be read aloud on the University of Kansas campus to commemorate the American Libraries Association’s annual Banned Books Week.

KU Libraries will host the “read out” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, in front of Watson Library. KU faculty, staff and student volunteers will read passages from their favorite banned books.

Banned Books Week, observed by the American Libraries Association since 1982, celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion, even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. The association also stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.

“Librarians take the First Amendment very seriously and we are dedicated to upholding the right to free speech,” said Lea Currie, head of collection development for KU Libraries. “It is our duty to insure that authors continue to have the right to publish their thoughts and beliefs and readers have the right to view all published works.”

Also on campus, Oread Books will celebrate Banned Books Week with an informative display on the second floor of the Kansas Union. A free list of books that have been banned or challenged in the past year will be available.

Banned and challenged books include classics such as Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” More recently, the Harry Potter series has undergone scrutiny. For more about banned and challenged books, visit www.lib.ku.edu/bannedbooks.

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