Banned in the USA: A History of Censorship, Book Bans, and First Amendment Freedoms

Censorship is on the rise within the United States – through individual challenges to titles held by school and public libraries, and a proliferation of legislative action across the country to shape and limit the content of school libraries and course curriculum. Join Jocelyn Kennedy, a lawyer and librarian, to explore the history of government censorship within the United States, discuss the legal limits of censorship, and develop an understanding of the role the first amendment plays in protecting the freedom to read.

Jocelyn Kennedy is the Executive Director of the Farmington Libraries in Farmington, Connecticut, where she provides strategic leadership and oversees the day to day operations of the library. Jocelyn has served as Executive Director of the Harvard Law School Library, Director of Library Services at the UConn Law Library, and as a research librarian at the University of Michigan Law Library.

A lawyer and a librarian, she is a former clerk for the New Hampshire Trial Court, and worked for a US Congressman prior to attending law school. Jocelyn holds a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire, a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire-Franklin Pierce Law Center, and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Washington.

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