This upcoming week is Banned Books Week throughout the country.

Here in Erie, several organizers are collecting books to distribute that have been banned in libraries and schools.

Tuesday, Oct. 3, those books will be collected at Journey to a Trauma-Informed Life from 6 to 8 p.m. The American Library Association highlights a list of banned books each year that cover a variety of topics including mental health, politics and gender identity.

“I think it’s important for families, caregivers, teachers to be able to access information to share with their family members. Youth should be able to find stories like theirs and read about them,” said Will Koehler, executive director of Journey: Healing Together.

Books will be distributed to the various little free libraries throughout the Erie region.