When Hurricane Helene swept through North Carolina this past September, Charlotte did not take a direct hit. However, the heavy rain and high wind forced the cancellation of many events in Charlotte including a much-anticipated Freedom to Read Panel Discussion organized by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. The organizers intended for this panel discussion to coincide with the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, but book banning is not limited to one week—it’s a year-around problem. For this reason, the organizers decided to reschedule the panel discussion even though Banned Books Week has already come and gone. The rescheduled Freedom to Read Panel Discussion will take place on Thursday, February 6, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the SouthPark Regional Library (7015 Carnegie Boulevard).
I contacted Meghan Anderson, one of the organizers of the event, and asked her for more information. Here is what she sent to me:
Attempts to ban books from school and public libraries are rising at an unprecedented level across the country. Join the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as we celebrate our freedom to read with an exceptional in-person panel of experts who will engage in open conversation about the dangers of book banning and censorship and the importance of free expression and first amendment rights.
The panel consists experts with varying perspectives. Providing the author point of view is Tameka Fryer Brown. She is a picture book author whose books prominently feature inclusivity. Providing the reader perspective is David Caldwell, an active member of the Park Road Books Banned Books Club. We round out the panel with two different librarian perspectives, Abby Moore, an education librarian at UNC Charlotte, and Megan Sanford, a CMS Media Coordinator. They both will provide us community and school perspectives of the current censorship landscape. And of course, Marcellus Turner, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s own CEO, will emcee the event and provide his public library point of view as well.
The goal of the event is to provide a space to learn about the dangers of censorship and book challenges as well as provide information on the current climate. Each panelist will have a chance to speak and then a question and answer session for further discussion will occur. All people curious about this topic are encouraged to attend!
The event will take place at South Park Regional branch at 6:00 pm on Thursday, February 6th, 2025. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free, but registration is required. The registration link for the event is here.
My thanks go to Meghan, the panelists, and everyone involved in making this event a reality despite the problems caused by Hurricane Helene. I urge everyone in Storied Charlotte to join the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in celebrating and exercising our precious freedom to read.
