Let Books Be: Protect the Freedom to Read
Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 1pm
Clark Lounge, Campus Center
Join us for a celebration of Banned Books Week!
Event is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the public.
The Park Center for Independent Media (PCIM) will host a panel discussion in Clark Lounge, Campus Center at 1pm hosted by PCIM’s Mickey Huff and Marcy Sutherland, with special guests Jennifer Spitzer, Professor of English and Chair; Catherine Michael, Communications Librarian; and Sean Eversley Bradwell, Assistant Professor and CSRE Director, Department of Education.
We are living in a time of increased attacks on the free press, free speech, academic freedom, and the right to read and know. According to Betsy Gomez, coordinator of the Banned Books Week Coalition, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), “tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second highest ever documented by ALA. The highest ever documented was 4,240 in 2023. ALA documented 713 attempts to censor library materials and services, 487 of which targeted books. In 2025, 92 percent of all book challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials and decision makers, up from 72 percent in 2024. Less than 3 percent of challenges originated from individual parents.”
Come learn more about protecting the freedom to read for Banned Books Week!
Free and open to students, staff and faculty.
Individuals with disabilities requiring on-site accommodation for PCIM events should reach out to Marcy Sutherland at msutherland1@ithaca.edu.