Banned Book Week was celebrated Sept. 24-30 in RHS thanks to a concerted effort by the media center and with sponsorship by the American Library Association.

Banned Book Week celebrates the “freedom to read” explicit or controversial works of literature and the weeklong event highlighted various titles that have been blocked or censored in different states throughout the country, generating awareness and discussion on why this happens.

“Banned book week reminds people that the right to read is precise and very vital to our democracy and we have to work everyday to fight for our freedom to read,” media center specialist Sherry Weiss said.

Weiss and assistant Media Specialist Mary Wormley spearheaded the initiative at RHS by making pins with the Banned Book Week logo and giving out Hershey kisses to students who wore the pins. They also visited English classrooms, including Sharon Lee’s AP Literature class, to give brief presentations on Banned Book Week.

“AP Lit more than others is the course that needs to acknowledge the banned books,” Lee said. “[They] need to acknowledge how they can be used in the classroom, why they were banned and appreciate the fact that they can read them.”

Weiss believes that bringing Banned Book Week to Rockville will extend beyond school and into everyday life.

“I think this is such an important topic because our democracy thrives on open access to information,” she said, “and this is something that everyone has to grapple with at one time or another whether it’s in school or in the workplace or at home.”