With book bans on the rise, the Alexandria Library is partnering with Elaine’s Restaurant (208 Queen Street) in Old Town to host a free reading from books on banned lists nationwide.
The free event tomorrow (Wednesday) will allow locals to read a 3-5 minute segment from a favorite banned book, like To Kill a Mockingbird, The Kite Runner or Harry Potter, or just come to listen. The event will be held on the second floor of Elaine’s Restaurant from 7-9 p.m.
A list of frequently challenged books is available online.
According to the event listing:
The Freedom to Read is a right, but books are still being banned throughout the country. And the numbers are up, “In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom ALA documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago.” from The American Library Association.
Celebrate your right to read during #BannedBooksWeek. The Barrett Branch Library is partnering with Elaine's Restaurant at 208 Queen Street in Old Town to host a Read Out of banned or challenged works on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 PM. https://t.co/8McABiOmlN pic.twitter.com/in3Hg9VkSJ
— Alexandria Library (@alexlibraryva) October 2, 2023