The DeKalb Public Library celebrated reading freedom on a grander level this year by bringing the adult section in on Banned Book Week.

Activities for the library’s Banned Book Week included plays, children’s storytime and checking out banned books.

“When you take a look at the list of the books that have been banned, you’re pretty astounded,” said library communications manager Edith Craig. “Harry Potter’s on the list, ‘The Giving Tree,’ ‘James and the Giant Peach’ and picture books.”

The DeKalb Public Library joined in on Banned Books Week in 1982 after the number of books removed or restricted in schools across the country increased.

“If you want your child to be well-cultured and assimilate into today’s society, why would you limit their desire to read? Their content shouldn’t matter,” Craig said.

“In Our Mother’s House,” by Patricia Polacco, was banned because it featured two mothers raising children.

“Two mommies and two daddies is not the ideal norm, but they can love them just as well as a mommy and a daddy can,” said Rosie Hadley, Banned Books Week attendee and DeKalb resident.

The inspiration to include adults in Banned Book Week came from a lecture at NIU.

“NIU STEM Outreach had a program about censorship that I attended which was really interesting,” said Darcy Tatlock, DeKalb Public Library tween coordinator.

People are concerned about how book banning affects children, and the matter was a topic of discussion at the library.

“[Children] should be able to read what they want to read. Reading is a wonderful thing,” Hadley said. “If a child gets the book home and their parents don’t like it, their parents can take it away from them, that what I would do.”

Hadley brought her daughter to Banned Books Week and the duo left the library with two books from the banned list.

“If you’re limiting what they want to read, it doesn’t really enforce the joy of reading for them. Really it’s more for me about trying to get kids excited to read, and that’s really hard to do if you’re like ‘You can read, just not this,’” Tatlock said.