Banned Books Week event

MADISON, WI - The American Civil Liberties Union is teaming up with the Dane County Legal Resource Center (DCLRC) to observe Banned Books Week, which runs the last week of September. On Wednesday, September 28th they will host bilingual readings of the Bill of Rights and a brief presentation planned for the lunch hour on the steps of the Dane County Courthouse at 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (Rain location: Room 315 (DCLRC) inside the Courthouse) In addition, free copies of the Bill of Rights will be available to all.

According to the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Books Week is now a 23 year-old United States tradition. Initiated in 1982, the event is intended to remind US citizens not to take their rights for granted. Echoing the sentiments of the First Amendment of the US Constitution, ALA states that Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express ones opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular.

ACLU Madison Area Community Advocate, Dianne Riley encourages everyone to turn out, particularly those working in the downtown area who can easily take a few moments to join us in reflecting on the instances that have tested our right to express ideas. In the abstract, freedom of speech and press sounds like a good idea, but people dont often realize how tenuous that freedom is…at least not until they see the examples of books that have been challenged.

For more information on Banned Books Week, see
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

Please share this information with others so the event is widely publicized. Call the Dane Co Legal Resource Center if you have any questions, (608) 266-6316.