Shaping the Story: Libraries, Museums, and Censorship Today

Join the conversation on censorship, banned books, public history, and access to information.

Featured Speakers:

• Dr. Samantha Hull, Librarian and Intellectual Freedom Advocate
  Dr. Samantha Hull has spent over a decade at the center of Pennsylvania’s intellectual freedom fight — testifying before Congress, co-editing a book on students’ right to read, and now serving on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Library Development. This past year put that work to the test closer to home, as she’s navigated an unprecedented wave of book challenges and the everyday reality of defending access to information under pressure. Join her to hear about what it looks like to hold the line on intellectual freedom when decision-makers still struggle to understand the value and purpose of libraries and librarians: one of our greatest resources.
• Dr. Mabel Rosenheck, Director of Education and Exhibits at Lancaster History
  Since January 2025, we have seen a real and growing movement toward censorship at museums and historic sites owned or funded by the federal government. However, shifting priorities at federal agencies and self-censorship by sites who do not want to become tied up in political culture wars may have an even greater impact on the historical narratives we see in public spaces than explicit censorship. Join this critical conversation about the funding and institutional structure of public history to understand what will shape the future of the past.

Sponsored by Bishop Library, Office of Community Culture and Belonging, First-Year Experience Program, Humanities Department, Social Sciences Department, Suzanne H. Arnold Gallery