Freedom to Read: The Fight Against Banned Books in WWII

Books were among the most powerful weapons used during World War II. Beginning in 1933, the German government campaigned to ban and burn all books that it deemed threatening to its Nazi ideology. To counteract these efforts, the governments of Allied nations distributed hundreds of millions of books to troops around the world and encouraged people to exercise their freedom to read. In connection with Reading Under Fire: Arming Minds & Hearts During Wartime, join curator Molly Manning for a talk about the banning of books during World War II. After the talk, Molly will be available to sign her new book, A Librarian’s War, in which she highlights the important roles played by books and librarians in wartime democracy. Doors open at 6:10pm. A Librarian’s War will be available for purchase in the Shop. Molly Guptill Manning is an author, historian, curator, and associate professor of law at New York Law School. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller When Books Went to War, The Myth of Ephraim Tutt, and The War of Words. She has spoken across the country about the power of the written word, and has curated exhibitions showcasing the essential role that books, magazines, and newspapers played in World Wars I and II. Before she became a professor, Manning worked in the New York federal courts for 13 years. She earned a BA and an MA in American History, an MA in Museum Studies from NYU, and a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact [email protected] or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact [email protected].