Constitution Day Lecture: Libraries, Book Bans, and the First Amendment, Sept. 19

The 2023 Constitution Day lecture at Ohio University features Athens County Public Libraries Director Nick Tepe discussing "Libraries, Book Bans, and the First Amendment" on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Baker Center Theatre. 

Libraries are on the forefront of the most recent iteration of the culture wars, with record numbers of challenges to library programming and materials on the shelves. But what does this mean when looked at through the lens of the First Amendment? Tepe will discuss the role of public libraries in the practical application of the First Amendment and what the current flood of challenges means for the future of libraries and the rights protected by the First Amendment.

Tepe is the director of Athens County Public Libraries and the Ohio Chapter Councilor for the American Library Association. He began working in Ohio libraries in 2000 at Columbus Metropolitan Library and held several different positions at CML, finishing his time there as circulation division manager from 2007-2011. From there he went on to be the director of the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library from 2012-2016.

Tepe received his Master of Library Science degree from Kent State University in 2005 and participated in the 2006 class of Library Leadership Ohio. He served on the Ohio Library Council’s Intellectual Freedom Committee from 2010-2013, was a member of the OLC Board of Directors from 2013-2019, and served as Chair of the Board in 2018.

The lecture is hosted by the Center for Law, Justice & Culture and the Ohio University Office of the Provost.