National banned books week is from Oct 1-7 this year. It’s a time that the American Library Association coined to celebrate the freedom to read, and it also shines a light on past and present attempts to ban or censor books in libraries and schools.

In celebration of this week the Illinois Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias, hosted a banned book read out and discussion event, in partnership with the UIC University Library, at UIC’s Daley Library on October 4, 2023.

During the time that Giannoulias has been Illinois’s Secretary of State he has worked with legislators to protect access to books for all Illinois residents. A part of the Secretary of State’s responsibilities is being the state librarian and Giannoulias has taken that part of his role very seriously.

The panel discussion touched on the recent epidemic of book banning across the country and how it is detrimental to our country, to our education systems and students, and to our First Amendment rights. The panel consisted of Giannoulias, New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone, UIC College of Education Professor Edward Podsiadlik, and doctoral student in the College of Education Literacy and Culture program Gina Caneva. 

In his introduction remarks before the discussion Giannoulias quoted Ray Bradbury, “The problem in our country isn’t with books being banned, but with people no longer reading. You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”

Nic Stone, author of the book “Dear Martin”, was also in attendance. She read aloud an excerpt from “Dear Marin” when she was introducing herself before the panel. Her book has been banned in multiple states across the country. 

Watch the full panel discussion here.