Banned Books Week Workshop at WLA

Though Banned Books Week is a few months off, the WLA workshop offered some insight on how our library could embrace Banned Books Week. The panel, which consisted of bookstore owners and librarians, shared interesting ideas for promoting intellectual freedom:

~ Have a Freedom of the Press discussion led by an author of challenged books or by librarians to discuss the topic of the freedom to read with the community.
~ Have movie night - show a movie based on a challenged book.
~ Some librarians have had storytime that highlighted banned books, such as King Kong.
~ Put several challenged books in brown paper bags with the reasons why they were banned listed on the outside. Patrons are curious and take the time to read the "charges" and try to figure out the title.
~ Put banned books in a case covered in black, with just a "peek-a-boo" hole for the patrons to look in at the titles.
~ Have a community place, such as a wall covered in blank paper, where people can list which banned books are their favorites and why.
~ Have a mix and match handout with "why this book was banned" in one column and the banned books in another, and the patrons have to match up the reason with the book.
~ Of course, have the usual bookmarks and posters promoting banned books week

The workshop made me excited to contribute to our library's Banned Book Week program.