The American Library Association is celebrating “30 Years of Liberating Literature” through a week of special events. Writers, librarians and celebrities across U.S. have all joined forces to host online and offline events during the Banned Books week, according to the Inquisitr.

The meaning of the term intellectual freedom has been subject to various modifications in the past 30 years as more and more people fought to liberate literature and arts of the suppressing claws of censorship. These efforts are now being commemorated by the members of the American Library Association who announced that the first week of October will be the Banned Books week.

Special events will be organized each day by writers, librarians and celebrities alike in order to inform people about the difficulties that various artists came across during their creative acts. Barbara Jones, Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the ALA Headquarters in Chicago introduced some of the most important events that book lovers will be able to witness during this year’s Banned Books week.

Organizers have even created a YouTube channel called Banned Books Virtual Read-Out making sure their message reaches out to as many people as possible. Thanks to this initiative, You Tube users can watch their favorite stars exercising their First Amendment right to read a banned book.

Jones further added that all the U.S. cities have agreed to host smaller-scale celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Banned Books week. The famous bookstore City Light Books recently announced that they will be posting videos of local authors reading illicit literary scenes on their website. Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five”, Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” are some of the censored books that will be presented this year between September 30 and October 6.

As from this year the Banned Books week will be related to Banned Websites Awareness Day which is celebrated on October 3. Barbara Jones hopes the Banned Websites Awareness Day could convince school administrators from blocking their students’ access to certain websites.

As significant changes have been enacted on intellectual freedom due to the Banned Books week, many more nations outside the United States have started to work for the liberation of literature. Similar events are held in UK, Finland and Norway each year.