The inalienable right of a person’s freedom to read is something that librarians and readers in general hold very dear. Banned Books Week is a celebration not only of that freedom but of the oft-challenged books that have challenged us to defend that freedom as well as live it.

Since the inception of Banned Books Week in 1982, libraries and bookstores throughout the country have staged local read-outs of banned and challenged books. This year the Simmons community got in on the action! Students and readers campus-wide stormed the Matarazzo Student Lounge to read from their favorite banned or challenged books.

You can checkout a showcase of our participants and their books in the video below. And stay tuned for a video of the readings themselves!