University of Chicago to house collection of banned books for public access

CHICAGO - This week is Banned Books Week, which is an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information.

The University of Chicago announced a plan to build a collection of books that have been historically banned, which would allow these books to be open to the public. 

In the plan, the public can freely access dozens of banned books with a UChicago library visitor pass, but for those without a pass, the collection will be digitized and made available to anyone nationwide. 

The Digital Public Library of America and the University of Chicago have made over 900 book titles accessible and are working to add more.

Back in June, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill making Illinois the first state to outlaw book bans.

He and the lieutenant governor attended the University of Chicago announcement Tuesday, saying right-wing organizations want to use book bans to control narratives. 

"We all know that banning books isn’t about protecting children, not when our libraries, a safe space for families, a refuge for families to experience the joy of reading, are threatened with violence. Because extremists are stocking the flames of a dangerous ideology," said Pritzker.