The Freedom to Read

The University of Chicago recently welcomed Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker and lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton to announce the Library’s expanded access to banned books for researchers and the public in Chicago, the state of Illinois, and across the United States.

As noted by University president Paul Alivisatos, AB'81, “The University of Chicago was founded on the principle that academic freedom and freedom of expression are the foundation of education and the wellspring of discovery. We live in an era of heightened political polarization, and free expression and free inquiry are in clear distress. We see this in action in books and the ideas that they hold, which are being censored in collections across the nation … Such efforts are always harmful to democratic societies and especially harmful to universities. Universities have a calling to serve as genuine truth-seeking places and hence are essential to the health of democracies.”

In response to the increasing rates of books being banned, over 1,500 to-date nationwide this year, the Library is reflecting the mission and values of the University of Chicago by creating the Banned Books Collection. Contributions to the Freedom to Read Fund will enable the Library to acquire materials to grow the Banned Books Collection and facilitate access for all who seek knowledge. The fund also enables research and debate on book bans through a program of events. 

The collection will be available at the Regenstein, Mansueto, and Crerar Libraries for anyone who would like to visit in person. In partnership with the Digital Public Library of America, the Library will provide these books in digital format through the DPLA’s Palace e-reader app to anyone in the state of Illinois for up to one year. The Library is also actively working with publishers to expand access through the DPLA in communities across the United States.

“Across the United States, books are being banned and libraries and librarians are being threatened. The American Library Association just released stats that show that for the third year in a row, attempts to censor books have hit a record number. In the first eight months of this year alone, the ALA tracked efforts to ban around 2,000 books in libraries across the United States. The vast majority of these challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

"Books are more than containers of text or sources of inspiration or enjoyment. They are a symbol for knowledge and its impact on society. In a similar way, libraries are more than just containers of books. They are a symbol for progress and a promise. A promise of a space where we all can get lost in thought, get inspired, and engage with the world’s knowledge. A promise that a free society accepts and celebrates a multitude of views.

"The University of Chicago stands firmly behind the promise of the book, and the promise of the library. And today we also stand with librarians across the country and all those who seek to inquire and to express themselves.”

–Torsten Reimer, University librarian and dean of the University Library