Capital Region Banned Books Readout

The New York Civil Liberties Union Capital Region Chapter, in partnership with the Albany Public Library, will be hosting an annual Banned Books Readout on October 7, 2025, from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at the APL Washington Avenue branch.

This year’s theme, “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights,” is a stark reminder of the escalation in attempts to ban books in libraries, schools, and bookstores around the country. George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves as a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship. The event will also provide a brief overview of the challenges related to intellectual freedom and the status of banned and challenged books in the country, New York, and the local community.

The event’s co-sponsors include: Albany Public Library, NYCLU, League of Women Voters, Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, and the Albany (NY) Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.