Celebrate the Banned Books Week and the freedom to read with a day of dialogue at the Ives Main Library. Learn about book bans, how they're affecting communities nationwide, and what you can do to help. 

Schedule of Events: 

Session 1 (11:00 am-12:15 pm): Censorships and Challenges panel 

Break (12:15 pm-1:15 pm): Bring your own lunch to eat in the Café, or check out local eateries!

Session 2 (1:15 pm-2:30 pm): Censorship and Democracy panel with Yale Public Humanities 

Session 3 (2:45 pm-4:45 pm): Film Screening & Discussion - Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Speaker & Session Information

Session 1: Censorship and Challenges

Dr. Lauren Anderson, owner of Possible Futures bookstore and Vice-President of NHFPL Board of Directors

Sam Lee, Intellectual Freedom Co-chair of the CT Library Association

Maria Bernhey, Director of the New Haven Free Public Library

Session 2: Censorship and Democracy with Yale Public Humanities

Prof. Lisa Lowe, Samuel Knight Professor of American Studies, Director Postdoctoral Opportunities

Prof. Daniel HoSang, Professor of American Studies; Director of Graduate Studies American Studies

Prof. Roderick Ferguson, William Roberston Coe Professor of Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Professor of American Studies

Moderated by Prof. Matthew Jacobson, Sterling Professor of American Studies & History, Prof African American Stds

Session 3: Film Screening

Fahrenheit 451 (1966). In an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task. Starring Oskar Werner and Julie Christie. Discussion to follow.

Speaker Bios

Sam Lee (she/her) has worked in libraries for almost 20 years. She serves as co-chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the CT Library Association, providing support to libraries and library workers dealing with book ban attempts, challenges and first amendment issues. Under her leadership, the committee won the 2020 Gerald Hodges Chapter Relations Intellectual Freedom Award from the American Library Association for bringing attention to patron privacy concerns on a third-party library platform. Sam holds an MLS from Southern CT State and a BA from UConn. Her favorite banned book is “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Maria Bernhey A passionate advocate for libraries and their role in the community, Maria Bernhey (pronounced Bern – Ā) brings more than a decade of experience in the library field to the position. Maria is proud to serve the City of New Haven as the current City Librarian and Library Director of the New Haven Free Public Library as of July 2023.  Previously, Maria served as Public Services Administrator at the NHFPL, a position she has held from April 2022-July 2023, where she provided administrative oversight for the four neighborhood branches (Fair Haven, Mitchell, Stetson, Wilson); systemwide youth services; and community outreach and training with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging to help foster a positive environment for all members of the NHFPL community; among other responsibilities. Prior to her tenure at NHFPL, Maria held a variety of branch manager and leadership roles as well as working in Children’s Services at the New York Public Library (2015 -2022). In all these roles, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing high-quality library services and worked to develop and implement innovative programs and services that meet the needs of diverse urban communities. Maria is a graduate of Hofstra University and holds a Master of Library Science degree from Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY). She is a member of the American Library Association, Connecticut Library Association and Public Libraries Association. Her favorite banned book is "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison.

(click the links in Session 2 to get speaker bios for Yale panelists)