The Kathryn A. Martin Library is recognizing Banned Books Week, a celebration of the freedom to read, with an open house on Wednesday, September 27 from 2 – 4 p.m. The event takes place on the library’s first floor, 416 Library Drive.
This is the third year that UMD has partnered with the Duluth Public Library in honor of Banned Books Week.
Adam Brisk, librarian at the UMD Library, says it’s a week when libraries nationwide gather books that have been challenged, banned, debated, burned, or censored and put them on prominent display. “As librarians we want to encourage a dialog and conversation about literature and differing viewpoints and experiences; when we are asked to remove titles from our collections, we lose out on important conversations and opportunities to learn."
The Banned Books Week Open House includes a display of books from the Kathryn A. Martin Library and Duluth Public Library collections that have been frequently banned or challenged in other schools or libraries, crafts and button making, reading recommendations from library staff, and free coffee and tea.