Kansas University faculty, staff and students on Wednesday called attention to Banned Books Week by reading out loud their favorite passages from challenged books.

The week, sponsored by the American Library Association, celebrates the freedom to choose and express one’s opinion.

“One of the things that librarians take very seriously is the First Amendment,” said Lea Currie, KU Libraries’ head of collection development. “It’s very important to bring attention to censorship.”

The reading featured books including Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple,” Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”

KU senior Dylan Sands chose to read Orwell because he thought it would be perfect for Banned Books Week.

“I think it’s been banned because it challenges authority a bit and kind of pokes fun at people in power,” he said.

Plus, he said, many books that people consider classics today were once banned.

“Many that have been banned now, such as ‘Harry Potter,’ kids love those books and it’s important to get them out there and have them read out in the open.”

Some students have read books they did not know were on the list.

Deon Whitten, a KU senior, said he’s read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” without knowing they had been banned. But, he said, it’s important to take note of the fact they’ve been challenged.

“I think it makes us aware of our freedoms that we have today,” he said. “It makes us thankful for the freedom : of knowledge.”

While KU has never challenged or banned a book as an institution, some patrons of the multiple libraries on campus have their own way to censor what words students have access to.

“Some of our users have stolen books that they do not want students to read, usually on controversial topics,” Currie said. “We’ve also had a number of community users that check books out and never bring them back for the same reason.”

Banned Books Week has been celebrated since 1982. This is the second year for KU’s read out.