GRAND RAPIDS — An event at Minnesota North College-Itasca will highlight banned books as part of Banned Books Week, Oct. 5-11.

The American Library Association and Amnesty International declared the week “at a time when free speech and free expression seem more directly under fire than ever,” a news release from the college stated.

The liberal arts faculty on the Itasca campus will host an open reading for faculty, students and community members to share and listen to others read passages from books they cherish that have been banned, censored or removed from libraries and school curriculums.

The reading will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, in McMahon Student Center. This is a free event. All are welcome to attend, participate or both.

For questions on this event, contact Jane Barrick at jane.barrick@minnesotanorth.edu.

***This story originally appeared in KAXE.