This week is the ideal time to pick up a controversial book and become part of the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, library officials said.

Schlow Memorial Library, 100 E. Beaver Ave., along with libraries across the country, is taking part in the event by encouraging people to read books that have traditionally been questioned or banned in schools.

The week's theme, "Let Freedom Read -- Read Banned Books," describes the importance of reading books that have been challenged, said Pat Griffith, adult services librarian at Schlow.

"That's one of the freedoms we have that people in other countries don't," Griffith said.

Though Schlow has been participating in the event for more than 15 years, it never received a negative response from the community about the week, she said.

"Our community is very supportive of the library," Griffith said.

By setting up displays of banned books, the library informs people about books that have been questioned, Griffith said. The library's main role is to show people what's available to read and let them decide what they're interested in reading, she added.

Many people are curious about books that have been banned and why they have been challenged, Griffith said. People are often surprised at what books have been banned in schools or communities, she said.

"Often, books that are banned are powerful books that people have been affected by," she said.

Banned books don't necessarily contain graphic or sexual material, Griffith added.

"A lot of books you can't even believe people would challenge," she said.

Some of the most frequently disputed books of 2001 include the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.

Some Penn State students believe it's important to have a variety of books and ideas available and that holding a week in celebration of controversial books and views is a good idea.

"I think [the event] is a good idea because you get a wider variety of everyone's opinions," Jen Fitzgerald (junior-information sciences and technology) said.

By allowing people to come into contact with many different ideas, it decreases the amount of bias in the world, she said.

Will McCloskey (senior-computer programming) agreed it's important to have a wide range of perspectives.

"Eliminating books is not a good idea," McCloskey said.

Banned Books Week has been observed nationwide since 1982. This year, the week began Saturday and ends this Saturday.