Press ReleaseIowa City Public Library Celebrates Intellectual Freedom


The Iowa City Public Library‘s 2017 Carol Spaziani Intellectual Freedom Festival begins Sunday, September 17.

Named for former librarian Carol Spaziani in honor of her life-long commitment to the freedom of ideas, this an annual event affirms everyone's right to freedom of thought and expression. This year’s Intellectual Freedom Festival includes the following programs:

Sunday, September 17, 2 to 4 p.m. in the Storytime Room: Sunday Fun Day -- Kids Blackout Poetry and Very, Very Short Stories

Create an original poem or extremely short story using a single page from a book by blocking out the rest of the text around the words you want to keep.

Tuesday, September 19, 4 to 5 p.m. in the Storytime Room: Totally Tweens – Upcycled Book Art

Working alone or in pairs, tweens will transform a used book into a work of art. Tweens will have two library sessions over the course of a week to complete the project. All of the book art will be displayed with artists’ statements in the library's display case. The second session will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25.

Thursday, September 21, 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the Storytime Room: Preschool Banned Books Storytime This special storytime will feature classic books that have been challenged.

Sunday, September 24, 2 to 3 p.m. at the Englert Theatre: Brooke Gladstone

Brooke Gladstone of WNYC's On the Media and author of “The Trouble with Reality” will give a presentation about fake news and the media. She will be joined by Lyle Muller, executive director of IowaWatch.org, the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, September 24, 2 to 4 p.m. in the Storytime Room: Sunday Fun Day – Where the Wild Things Are

Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read, starts today. “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, was challenged because of its inclusion of "witchcraft and supernatural elements." Make a Wild Thing paper bag puppet and Max mask at Sunday Fun Day, and celebrate the freedom to read.

Tuesday, September 25, 4 to 5 p.m. in the Storytime Room: Totally Tweens – Upcycled Book Art

Working alone or in pairs, tweens will finish transforming a used book into a work of art. All of the book art will be displayed with artists’ statements in the library's display case.

Wednesday, September 27, 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the Storytime Room: Preschool Banned Books Storytime

Preschoolers will celebrate Banned Books Week by listening to banned or challenged books.

Wednesday, September 27, noon to 1 p.m. in Meeting Room A: Political Poems – The Power of Words

Listen as members of the Iowa City Johnson County Senior Center's Reading Aloud group present a program of political poetry. The poems deal with many political issues – censorship, war, slavery – with particular focus on the plight and dreams of immigrants.

Thursday, September 28, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Storytime Room: IFF Short Film Festival

Preschoolers will watch several animated shorts of frequently banned or challenged picture books.

All programs are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit https://calendar.icpl.org/series/iff of contact the Library at 319-356-5200.