Banned Book Club

The Banned Book Club meets at the Salt Lake City Public Library Anderson-Foothill Branch on Tuesday, October 27, from 4 to 5 PM. It's a monthly gathering that brings together teens and adults to read and discuss a banned or challenged book, and the conversation usually goes beyond the plot. The sessions double as an introduction to intellectual freedom, the Library Bill of Rights, and censorship, so you'll spend as much time talking about why the book was challenged as you do about the story itself.

That's the core of the thing: readers share their thoughts on the title and on the times and circumstances that led to it being challenged. It's a chance to look at the history behind the controversy and think about who gets to decide what we read. Because it's open to both teens and adults, you'll hear perspectives from different generations in the same room, and parents and guardians are welcome to join in too. If you're not a regular reader, it's a low-pressure way to get into a book with a group.

It's a one-hour session, so it doesn't take up your whole evening. They serve snacks, and the meeting runs from 4 PM to 5 PM on Tuesday, October 27, at the Anderson-Foothill branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library.