Drop in to the Wood River Museum of History and Culture for a History Half Hour examining the evolving landscape of book challenges and bans as we recognize Banned Books Week (Oct. 4–10). We will be meeting up in the Army tent within the Museum’s newest exhibit, Words in War: Readers, Writers and World War II.

Libarian Pam Parker will give a brief overview of the topic of banned books and discuss how it relates to the exhibit. What is a banned book and who bans them? What sorts of books were targeted for bans, now and in the past? Why are librarians so concerned about unfettered access to reading material?

Included in the new exhibit is a Little Free Library of banned books visitors are welcome to donate to and borrow from. This relates to the critical role of Chief Army Librarian Raymond Trautman in providing American GIs with a wide variety of reading materials during the war. GIs indulged in pocket-sized versions of classics like The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby, which were among the titles the Nazi’s had banned and burned as early as 1933.

Founded as an independent nonprofit institution, The Community Library has been uniquely positioned from the start to support Reading Fearlessly—a commitment we champion today as public access to diverse titles faces renewed challenges nationwide. We will touch on common reasons for book challenges, then and now, and discuss the importance of free expression to the library profession.

A free “I’m with the Banned” sticker and list of 100 banned books our librarians recommend will be provided to each attendee.