Every year, bookstores, libraries, universities, and organizations host engaging programs that spotlight censorship. Are you hosting an event for Banned Books Week? Putting up a display? Let us know about it, and we’ll share it here for the world to find!
If you are organizing a virtual event, choose “Virtual Event” for the venue. If it is an in-person event, please provide complete address and time information, as well as contact information so we can send queries for clarification. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee your event will display correctly. Thank you!
If you have any questions, please email coordinator@bannedbooksweek.org
On Censorship with James LaRue
October 3 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm MDT
$10
Celebrate Banned Books Week and listen to James LaRue as he presents his book On Censorship, which uses humor, reason, and intelligence to build a case against censorship. LaRue recounts stories from his experience as a librarian confronting book banning, while also casting a wider net to encompass larger issues of censorship. Librarians and educators get into this event for free in recognition of the effort it takes to be on the front lines of book banning and censorship in this current moment. There will be Q&A and book signing following the presentation, and light refreshments will be provided.
In America, censorship surges in periods of demographic and political change. Its primary purpose is to silence challenges to an established elite or norm. Today, censorship is part of a larger assault on such American institutions as schools, public libraries, and universities, the better to establish more control over the people–while also pilfering their wallets. In this concise look at censorship, author James LaRue explores the topic through a librarian’s lens. Using humor, reason, and intelligence, he builds a case against censorship as he recounts stories from his experience as a librarian confronting book banning, while also casting a wider net to encompass larger issues of censorship. “On Censorship” is a part of Fulcrum Publishing’s Speaker’s Corner Books series.
James LaRue has been a public library director for many years, as well as a weekly newspaper columnist and cable TV host. From January 2016 to November 2018, he was director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. He has written, spoken, and consulted extensively on intellectual freedom issues, leadership and organizational development, community engagement, and the future of libraries. He lives in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.