Collect a set of seven unique works of local art that promote the freedom to read! Each day during Banned Books Week, come by the Library to get a free trading card inspired by a book that has been banned or challenged. Cards are also available at Flyleaf Books and six UNC Chapel Hill campus libraries: Davis, Undergrad, Sloan Art, Park, Stone Center, and SILS.

Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read, sponsored by a number of national organizations and celebrated nationwide. The Chapel Hill Public Library uses the national initiative as an opportunity to showcase the talents of local artists as well.  The Library puts out a call for area artists to create works of art that are inspired by a banned or challenged book or author.  A jury selects seven pieces to be printed as trading cards, with facts about the book, the author, and artist on the back of the card.  The winners are kept under wraps until Banned Books Week, when a new card is revealed each day and given away at the library. By the end of the week, area art and literature enthusiasts will have visited the library daily, collected a unique set of local art, and learned about ongoing challenges to their freedom to read.

This year, more than 100 entries were submitted and the winning set features works of collage, watercolor, and pen and ink inspired by authors including John Steinbeck, Maya Angelou, and William Faulkner.