Banned Books Week begins today and is celebrating its 26th anniversary. Bookstores and libraries use the annual event to highlight books that have been banned from public access and speak out against censorship. Sponsors include the American Library Association. Judith Krug is the association’s director of Intellectual Freedom. She says most banned books are exactly what people should read.

KRUG: All the materials that are challenged are important books that need to be read and thought about because they’re conveying ideas that we need to keep in mind.

Sponsors will host a Chicago “Read-Out” this afternoon. Chicago authors such as Sara Paretsky and Rick Kogan will read from works that have been censored. Banned Books Week goes until October 6.