SIU’s Morris Library hosts free banned-books discussion Oct. 2
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CARBONDALE, Ill., (KBSI) — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Morris Library hosts a free public discussion on banned books Friday, Oct. 2, ahead of Banned Books Week.
The presentation begins at 1 p.m. in Room 752. Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, will discuss free expression, censorship and access to diverse perspectives, according to SIU.
ACLU staff also will provide resources and information about the upcoming midterm elections. The library will display banned books available for checkout.
Banned Books Week runs Oct. 4-10.
The American Library Association reported that 4,235 unique titles were challenged in 2025, the second-highest total it has documented. According to the association, organized groups, government officials and other decisionmakers initiated 92% of challenges, while parents accounted for less than 3%.
Morris Library also houses the McCoy First Amendment Collection, which includes thousands of books, pamphlets, manuscripts and letters documenting four centuries of censorship in the English-speaking world.
The collection was established by Ralph E. McCoy, the library’s first director and a journalism professor. The library purchased his collection in 1981 and continues to add challenged books and works supporting underserved communities.
