Happy Banned Books Week 2012! As a proud sponsor of this annual celebration of banned and challenged books, we are continuing to highlight the recipients of the 2012 Krug Fund awards.

Friends of the Talkeentna Public Library

Friends of the Talkeetna (Alaska) Public Library, were 2012 Krug Fund grant recipients in support of the Second Annual Great Talkeetna Festival of Books. This year's festival will feature the theme "Heroes and Villains” and focus on graphic novels and comics— an increasingly significant target of challenges. Among the events will be a poster contest, scavenger hunt, parade of books, a film showing and a Battle of the (Banned!) Book Clubs reading porgram, culminating in a Jeopardy-style game show. The library also will partner with local restaurants who will serve banned book themed food and drinks. https://www.facebook.com/tka.book.festival

City Lit Theater Company

City Lit Theater Company received a 2012 Krug Fund grant for "Books on the Chopping Block,” a week-long series of staged readings at Chicago-area public libraries of the previous year's 10 most frequently challenged books as determined by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. City Lit uses professional actors for these performances, which are followed by Q&A sessions with the audience. See http://citylit.org/BannedBooks.htm for their performance schedule.

Judith's Reading Room

Judith's Reading Room, for "Freedom Through Literature,” received a 2012 Krug Fund grant for a three-pronged media and event campaign highlighting 30 years of banned books. Judith's Reading Room is a network of 30 custom-designed libraries around the world, including in VA and children's hospitals, war zones and inner-city schools. Each Judith's Reading Room library will feature banned books and Banned Books Week posters. Keynote events, including flash mobs and featured speakers, will take place at Lafayette College and Villanova University in Pennsylvania and at the University of Southern California. Based in Western Pennsylvania, Judith's Reading Room was established in 2010 in memory of Judith F. Krug. http://www.judithsreadingroom.org/