WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield School of Politics and International Affairs and Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents a discussion on “Modern Day Book Bans and the Ongoing Fight for Intellectual Freedom.” The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of the library

DETAILS: Jason Pierceson, professor in the UIS School of Politics and International Affairs, and Emily Knox, associate professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will host the lecture and discussion.

Pierceson is a leading scholar on LGBTQ rights. His book, “Sexual Minorities and Politics,” is the first textbook to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical, political and legal status of sexual and gender minorities. For this reason, the book was placed on the Navy’s Professional Reading List in 2021. However, the Navy removed “Sexual Minorities” from the list in 2022, along with other books about race and gender.

Knox is an expert on intellectual freedom and is the author of “Book Banning in 21st Century America,” which explores the reasons why people attempt to censor books in schools and public libraries.