FREE THE BOOKS: A Print Exhibition

March 1-April 28, 2024 ::: Evanston Public Library

1703 Orrington ::: Evanston Illinois

Third Floor Exhibition Space

“This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.” - Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom

According to the American Library Association, in the first eight months of 2023, there were 695 attempts to censor library materials and services, and 1915 unique titles were challenged. This was a 20% increase from the same time period in 2022. Both public and school libraries have been targeted, and bookstores now seem to be in the crosshairs of those who back book banning as well.  

This alarming uptick in book challenges in recent years makes it more imperative to give space for exhibitions such as FREE THE BOOKS: A Print Exhibition, where letterpress printers and artists can express their dismay at this distressing trend while simultaneously supporting every individual’s right to read.

Inspired directly from Starshaped Press and their FREE THE BOOKS call to action, FREE THE BOOKS: A Print Exhibition provides viewers with a variety of gorgeous and imaginative pieces of art that stand in the face of the tyranny of censorship. We are grateful to the artists from all over the country who submitted their prints for this exhibition. 

Heather Ross, Evanston Public Library

Jamie Lou Thome, Hive Center for the Book Arts

March 2024