About this Event

Raise your voice. Defend the freedom to read.

Libraries across the country continue to face unprecedented, coordinated efforts to ban and remove books—silencing voices, limiting access and threatening intellectual freedom. The Banned Books Read-Out is your chance to push back.

Join your fellow rebel readers in Morris Library’s Class of 1941 Lecture Room to:

• Speak out against censorship by reading aloud from banned and challenged books
• Celebrate the First Amendment and every reader’s right to seek information freely
• Connect with a community committed to protecting the freedom to read

Readers are invited to share a five-minute excerpt from a banned or challenged book of their choice—or select one from our collection on hand. Walk-up readers are welcome, but advance sign-ups are encouraged and will receive priority. Need inspiration? Browse the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books of 2024 or PEN America’s list of most challenged books of 2024. The Read-Out is free and open to the public. Drop in anytime to listen, participate and celebrate the freedom to read. Giveaways and book raffles will be available.

During the event, also stop by the “Dear Banned Author” table to participate in a letter writing campaign. We will provide supplies for you to write a postcard of support to an author of your favorite banned book or a legislator of your choice.

Presented in partnership with the UD Department of English, this event is part of our campus-wide Banned Books Week programming, which celebrates the freedom to read and raises awareness about the dangers of censorship.