On Monday, Feb. 5, at 6:30 p.m., Cuba Circulating Library invites you to attend a panel discussion on the role public libraries play in protecting free speech and the freedom to read.

Public libraries are more than just places to borrow books. They are defenders of your freedom of speech and right to read without restrictions. A panel discussion will shed light on how libraries play a crucial role in protecting these essential rights. Join us at Cuba Circulating Library as we explore how public libraries stand up for the First Amendment and your right to explore different ideas. The panel will discuss how libraries ensure free access to information and create spaces where diverse viewpoints can thrive.

The panel moderator will be Dave Crowley, Cuba town historian and a member of the Cuba-Rushford Board of Education. Mr. Crowley has served the town and village of Cuba in a variety of capacities, including mayor, assessor, and library trustee; perhaps most notably he was the publisher and editor of the Cuba Patriot weekly newspaper for many years. Panel members include Stephanie Cole Adams, an attorney from the Buffalo area with expertise in intellectual property, not-for profit, education, and municipal law; Dr. Mallory Szymanski, assistant professor of history at Alfred University with expertise in cultural and gender studies and 19th and 20th century U.S. history; Brian Hildreth, executive director of the Southern Tier Library System; and Tom Donahue, director of print and electronic publications at St. Bonaventure University, former managing editor of the Olean Times Herald, and a Cuba Circulating Library trustee.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the Cuba Library, Inc. This program is free and does not require pre-registration. Contact the library with questions at 585-968-1668 or cuba@stls.org.