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According to the American Library Association, Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Western Illinois University Libraries will present "Banned and Determined, an evening of readings from censored, banned and challenged books," beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28 in the Leslie F. Malpass Library Garden Lounge on the WIU-Macomb campus.
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Banned and Determined: WIU Libraries Banned Book Celebration Sept. 28

September 21, 2010

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MACOMB, IL -- In honor of the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, the Western Illinois University Libraries will once again present "Banned and Determined" beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28 in the Leslie F. Malpass Library Garden Lounge. The event features an evening of readings from censored, banned and challenged books.

According to Reference Librarian Krista Bowers Sharpe, the program will feature WIU faculty, staff and students reading from works that individuals, at various times and places, have tried to suppress. Some featured works to be read include: Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House on the Prairie"; John Howard Griffin's "Black Like Me"; and, in honor of the 5oth anniversary of its publication, Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird."

An annual celebration of controversial reading sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Books Week 2010 runs from Saturday, Sept. 25 through Saturday, Oct. 2. (More information is available at www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/.)

"Western Illinois University Libraries' faculty and staff encourage all readers to join with the ALA in celebrating the freedom to read during Banned Books Week and at all times," Bowers Sharpe said.

This year, in addition to the "Banned and Determined" Sept. 28 evening of readings from banned books, University Libraries will host a book club highlighting a censored, banned and/or challenged book. Excerpts from Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Stephen King's "The Dead Zone" and Toni Morrison's "Beloved" will be featured at the Sept. 28 event. Interested individuals will then meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30 in Malpass Library's Garden Lounge to select one book to talk about at a book discussion slated for Thursday, Oct. 28.

Organized by Bowers Sharpe, WIU Libraries' "Banned and Determined" event is open free to the public.

For more information, contact Tammy Sayles, marketing and outreach librarian, at (309) 298-3298 or via e-mail at TJ-Sayles@wiu.edu.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing