“Free People Read Freely”

Huckleberry Finn. The Catcher in the Rye. Of Mice and Men. A Wrinkle in Time. To Kill A Mockingbird. These classic works of American literature have all been challenged as books that some felt should be banned from a public library. These threats against intellectual freedom and the First Amendment are brought to greater attention each year with Banned Book Week, held annually during the last week of September. This year’s observation is almost over (today’s the last day) but it's never too late to emphasize freedom. Celebrate liberty, literacy and literature at the same time by visiting your local library and reading a book of your choice. As Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury has said, “You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”