This is the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week in the USA! Banned Books Week Buttons for Sale The Iowa City Public Library is offering 2012 Banned Books Week buttons for sale from Sept. 25 through Oct. 26. Vintage buttons from past years are also for sale at the Circulation Desk for $1 each. A [...]

Located in the only UNESCO City of Literature in the United States, the Iowa City Public Library has long-served as a center for culture, education and community. This fiscal year (July 2011-June 2012) saw ICPL launch the Local Music Project, an innovative way to deliver local music content to Iowa City. The Library also strengthened [...]

Coinciding with Banned Books Week (Sept. 30 – Oct.6), the Intellectual Freedom Festival at the Iowa City Public Library is an annual event that affirms everyone’s right to freedom of thought and expression. All programs are free and open to the public. 2012 Carol Spaziani Intellectual Freedom Festival Events Thursday, September 27, 2012 7:00 p.m. [...]

The Library Channel, available on local cable channel 10, originates from the Iowa City Public Library. Channel programming is coordinated and produced by the staff of the Iowa City Public Library’s Community Services Department. The Library Channel is available to viewers who subscribe to cable television through the local cable franchise, currently Mediacom. Get The [...]

Banned Books Week Buttons for Sale The Iowa City Public Library is offering the 2011 Banned Books Week buttons for sale through October 14. Vintage buttons from past years are also for sale at the Circulation Desk for $1 each. Free lists of frequently challenged books will also be available as part of a Library [...]

The Carol Spaziani Intellectual Freedom Festival 2011 kicks off Sept. 16, continues during Banned Books Week from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, and includes events through Oct. 11 at ICPL. The Intellectual Freedom Festival is an annual event at ICPL that affirms everyone’s right to freedom of thought and expression. All programs are free and [...]

Ben Stone says what we’re witnessing in our government today is a profound misunderstanding of the role of individual liberty in our society. “Many people seem to think individual liberty means they don’t have to be bothered with their fellow human beings, that having this means you can disregard the social contract and insist on [...]

In 1995, the Iowa City Public Library established the annual Carol Spaziani Intellectual Freedom Festival to honor Carol’s 26-year career at ICPL and life-long commitment to the freedom of ideas. Spaziani (shown left) believes that the public library’s role is to be a resource and a forum for an individual’s pursuit and expression of diverse [...]

This week’s headlines at a glance include “Haunted Happenings,” “City event collects 135.8 lbs of drugs,” “Iowa City collects unused drugs,” and “Join brownbag lunch at Library.”

Yearly List of Challenged and/or Banned Books This brochure lists books challenged, restricted, removed, or banned in 2008-2009 as reported in the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Click on the link below to download a PDF. Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2008-2009 Teen Read-In: Banned Books Week 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, Teen Area @ ICPL [...]