Why Books Still Matter: Reading and Panel Discussion
Why Books Still Matter—A Panel of Experts Discusses Book Banning, Free Expression, and the Power of the Written Word
If books didn’t matter, no one would try to ban them.
Joyce Meskis was a legendary bookseller, advocate for readers, and champion of the First Amendment. To honor her legacy, publisher Karl Weber compiled Why Books Still Matter, a collection of essays about freedom of expression and the enduring power of books to inform, enlighten, and inspire. Join Weber along with a panel of experts to discuss why free expression is currently under attack and what we can do to defend it.
Panelists:
- Karl Weber, publisher of Rivertown Books and an editor with 40 years’ in the book business working with authors including President Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, will discuss why the freedoms to write, publish, and read are crucial to a healthy democracy.
- Chris Finan, former executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship and author of From the Palmer Raids to the PATRIOT Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America, will describe the many forms that assaults on free expression have taken in our history—and the tools we can use to fight back.
- Betsy Burton, co-founder of the King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City and an avid defender of the rights of readers, will explain how current attempts to limit free access to books—including a draconian new law in the state of Utah—are paving the way for even more serious attacks on American liberties.
- Nick Higgins, named a Librarian of the Year by Library Journal in 2023, will tell the story of Books Unbanned, the program created by Brooklyn Public Library to open its digital collection of books to young adults nationwide in response to local attempts at censorship.
Reception to follow with copies of the book available for purchase with Greenlight Bookstore.
Why Books Still Matter—A Panel of Experts Discusses Book Banning, Free Expression, and the Power of the Written Word
If books didn’t matter, no one would try to ban them.
Joyce Meskis was a legendary bookseller, advocate for readers, and champion of the First Amendment. To honor her legacy, publisher Karl Weber compiled Why Books Still Matter, a collection of essays about freedom of expression and the enduring power of books to inform, enlighten, and inspire. Join Weber along with a panel of experts to discuss why free expression is currently under attack and what we can do to defend it.
Panelists:
- Karl Weber, publisher of Rivertown Books and an editor with 40 years’ in the book business working with authors including President Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, will discuss why the freedoms to write, publish, and read are crucial to a healthy democracy.
- Chris Finan, former executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship and author of From the Palmer Raids to the PATRIOT Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America, will describe the many forms that assaults on free expression have taken in our history—and the tools we can use to fight back.
- Betsy Burton, co-founder of the King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City and an avid defender of the rights of readers, will explain how current attempts to limit free access to books—including a draconian new law in the state of Utah—are paving the way for even more serious attacks on American liberties.
- Nick Higgins, named a Librarian of the Year by Library Journal in 2023, will tell the story of Books Unbanned, the program created by Brooklyn Public Library to open its digital collection of books to young adults nationwide in response to local attempts at censorship.