The Mary J Barnett Memorial Library in Guthrie Center is celebrating Banned Books Week next week.

Director Jerri Hawkins says that the Banned Books Week was initiated in 1982 due to a rise in the number of books being challenged, and the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights argues libraries are areas for diverse ideas. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio about a few titles that have been challenged or banned.

“The ‘Captain Underpants’ series is a children’s book that was attempted to be banned in libraries. And a lot of people might not know that. That’s kind of a fun book that the kids enjoy. (Other titles include) Hunger Games,’ ‘The Kite Runner,’ ‘Drama,’ ‘Entango Makes Three,’ ‘A Day in the Life,’ ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.’”

Hawkins mentions that celebrating the week, which has the theme “Censorship is so 1984… Read for your Rights,” helps remind people about the right of reading, and that they can read what they want. She adds that it’s also nice to recognize these titles and try to do more to understand them.