Civic Awareness Series will discuss the First Amendment and banned books March 9

Cantigny Park, in partnership with the League of Women Voters, is inviting the community to the next Civic Awareness Series program on Thursday, March 9.

Joyce McIntosh from the Freedom to Read Foundation will lead a discussion on the issue of banned books.

The free presentation, "Banned Books, Intellectual Freedom, Libraries, and You," will begin at 7 p.m. in Le Jardin at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road in Wheaton.

Registration is not required for the in-person program; parking is complimentary. Online viewers should register at cantigny.org/event/civic-awareness-series/ to receive a Zoom link.

McIntosh will discuss the current state of banned book challenges throughout the U. S.; how the First Amendment is related to our public and school libraries; and ways that people can advocate on behalf of intellectual freedom in their communities.

McIntosh is the assistant program director for the Chicago-based Freedom to Read Foundation, an organization dedicated to First Amendment education, litigation, and advocacy. She has worked at the intersection of intellectual freedom, communication, and the First Amendment for three decades. With FTRF and the American Library Association, her work focuses on education about the First Amendment and censorship, and helping librarians navigate challenges to intellectual freedom.