Recently, there has been an escalation of book bans and censorship in public school classrooms and libraries across the U.S. Many of the current book ban campaigns target books by or about LGBTQIA+ persons and people of color. In this Obermann Conversation, an outreach librarian, two scholars of education, and the director of a local cultural institution will discuss the history of book bans in the Midwest as well as nationally, and look forward to a future with access to books for all.

Panelists:
• Jackie Biger (Associate Professor of Instruction, School of Library and Information Science)
• Josh Coleman (Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning)
• Sam Helmick (Librarian, Iowa City Public Library)
• John Kenyon (Executive Director, Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature)

Obermann Conversations is an informal speaker series that pairs University of Iowa faculty with community members in conversation.

This program is cosponsored by the Iowa City Public Library and the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies.