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Eastern to host Banned Books Week event Oct. 6

Theme: "Let books be. Protect the freedom to read."

Willimantic, CT (10/01/2026) — The J. Eugene Smith Library at Eastern Connecticut State University will mark Banned Books Week on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with a program exploring censorship, intellectual freedom, and the right to read. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the library's Johnson Room (Room 204) and will feature guest speakers, a display of banned books, and other activities.

Sponsored by the American Library Association, Banned Books Week runs Oct. 4-10. This year's theme is "Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read."

The program will feature presentations by Eastern faculty and library professionals examining censorship from a variety of perspectives, including challenges to children's and young adult literature, controversial media, and restrictions on reading materials in prisons.

Hope-Marie Cook, head of the Curriculum Center and education librarian at Eastern, will host the event and discuss censorship challenges over the past two decades, drawing on her experience as an educator and librarian and her advocacy for the freedom to read.

John Murphy, a longtime Eastern communication lecturer and media producer, will explore the boundaries of free expression through historical Supreme Court cases and examples of controversial speech and media.

Amy Slowik, head of Youth and Family Learning at Russell Library, will also participate. Isaiah Roby '13, an Eastern alumnus and librarian, will contribute a video presentation. Roby, who earned a master's degree in library science in 2025, has been active in LGBTQ+ advocacy and campus inclusion initiatives.

Theresa Severance, professor of sociology and criminology at Eastern, will examine book censorship in prisons. Her presentation will address incarcerated individuals' right to read and the restrictions correctional facilities may place on access to reading materials.

The event invites the campus community and the public to consider how censorship affects access to information, freedom of expression, and the exchange of ideas.

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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