Banned Booooks: Censorship and the Freedom to Read

Book bans in the United States are on the rise, with PEN America reporting more than 10,000 book bans in public schools during the 2023-2024 school year. These bans have specifically targeted works that pro-censorship groups identify as "sexually explicit," many of which feature LGBTQ+ characters and themes, or which discuss themes of race and racism. In this workshop, we will discuss local and national trends in book banning, as well as ways to get involved in freedom to read initiatives. 

This event is a part of the "Library of the Macabre: Researching Horror in Popular Culture" programming for Fall 2025's Scholarship as Conversation series.