👻 📖 October 2025 📖 👻

Did You Know That It's Banned Books Week?

Since 1982, Banned Books Week has united communities in celebrating and defending the freedom to read. This year’s theme is “Censorship Is So 1984: Read for Your Rights.”

The American Library Association (ALA) shares the following message about this year’s theme:

“With 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. This year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.”

We hope you’ll celebrate this week by visiting your local library and reading a banned book! 🤝❤️

There are also some spooky and fall-themed happenings at the Free Library this month—be sure to read on and check out the event calendar for all the details! 🍂

October Author Events

Join us this season for an opportunity to engage in compelling and dynamic discussions right here in Philadelphia!

• October 8: Muhammad Abdul-Hadi (We the Pizza: Slangin' Pies & Savin' Lives) in conversation with Dr. Janice Johnson Dias

• October 14: Emily Wilson, Scott McGill, & Susannah Wright (The Aeneid)

• October 16: Nic Stone (Boom Town) in conversation with Tracey Lewis-Giggetts

• October 21: Harmonia Rosales (Chronicles of Ori: An African Epic) in conversation with Imani Roach

• October 22: Karine Jean-Pierre (Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines)

• October 27: Keisha N. Blain (Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights) in conversation with Timothy Welbeck

• October 30: Jaquira Diaz (This Is the Only Kingdom) in conversation with Airea D. Matthews

Missed an Author Event? You can always watch the recording on our YouTube!

More to Explore in October

🐦‍⬛ RAVENS ON THE ROOFTOP 🐦‍⬛
Thursday, October 30 (Halloween Eve) from 6PM to 9PM!

Join The Raven Society, Philadelphia’s favorite young professional literacy lovers and curiosity connoisseurs, for a spooky celebration on Parkway Central Library’s rooftop terrace! Enjoy light bites, drinks, music, festive activities, and a one-of-a-kind view of the city skyline. Literary themed costumes encouraged!

Buy tickets HERE!

Raven Society members receive 50% off tickets. Become a member today!

The Penguin Random House Banned Wagon is coming to Philadelphia for Banned Books Week!

The Banned Wagon will make stops at Northeast Regional Library on Friday, October 10 and Parkway Central Library on Saturday, October 11th and will highlight a selection of books that are currently being banned and challenged across the country. There will be free copies of books while supplies last!

Join us for Clearing the Mist: The Writer’s Publishing Journey, a panel discussion where writers at various stages of their careers unpack the strategies, pitfalls, and surprises on the path to literary "success"—however you define it.

Attendees will witness the power of mentorship in real time as emerging writers receive candid, insightful answers to key questions about the writing life from those who’ve already made the journey.

Great things are happening at the Free Library! Please consider making a gift today to advance literacy and inspire curiosity! ✨