Celebrating Intellectual Freedom

The Big Read kicks off with Judith Krug on Intellectual Freedom. Saturday, April 14 at 10 AM. Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain. St. (571.2222 / www.faylib.org)

Judith Krug, executive director of the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, will be the keynote speaker as the Fayetteville Public Library kicks off The Big Read on Saturday, April 14 at 10 a.m. A staunch supporter of educating the public about their rights to free access of all expressions and ideas, Krug will speak about the freedom to read. .

Krug will also be joined during her discussion by local residents Cassandra Barnett, a Fayetteville High School librarian, Mark Killinbeck, a University of Arkansas law professor, and Drs. Kathleen Paulson and Janet Titus, who will speak about freedom of speech.

The Fayetteville Public Library will host activities April 14-21 that relate to the themes of Fahrenheit 451. The events include "17 on the 17th," 17 book discussions throughout Fayetteville on April 17; a talk by Nancy Giles, a radio, film and television personality who also provides commentary for Sunday Morning on CBS; a screening of Good Night, and Good Luck with a panel discussion about American life during the McCarthy era; storytimes with local firefighters; a screening of the 1966 movie version of Fahrenheit 451 and a performance of Ray Bradbury's The Pedestrian directed by Kassie Misiewicz of TheatreSquared.