For Release: 2/23/06
Department of External Affairs
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710
FAX (215) 567-7850
Contact: Communications and Development
For Release: 2/23/06
Contact: Communications and Development

Editorial Cartoons: How Far is Too Far?

Talk About It! @ the Central Library Kicks Off its First Debate

What: The launch of Talk About It! @ the Central Library, a public talk/debate series on timely and sometimes controversial current events. The first session tackles the Danish cartoon depicting the prophet Mohammed that sparked riots around the world.

Who: New Yorker Cartoon Editor Bob Mankoff, Daily News cartoonist Signe Wilkinson, Temple journalism professor Karen Turner, Dr. Shams Inati, Professor of Islamic Theology at Villanova, and Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

When: Monday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Central Library 19th and Vine

Why: An international public outcry followed the publication of a Danish newspaper cartoon satirizing the Muslim prophet Mohammed. Did the cartoon cross the line? The issues surrounding this question will be discussed at the launch of the Library's new public forum, Talk About It!@ the Central Library, which will facilitate conversations about timely and sometimes controversial topics. If the story is jamming the phones on talk radio and the subject lines of office emails, we'll be talking about it at the Free Library.

This discussion series is another step in the transformation of the Central Branch of the Free Library into a dynamic, technology-driven information resource for our region. It will be an opportunity for members of our community with divergent viewpoints to come together and engage in healthy, lively debate over the subjects making big headlines. We'll have experts on hand to inform the dialogue and give people plenty of time to ask questions and share their opinions. Talk About it @ the Central Library kicks off with "Editorial Cartoons: How Far is Too Far?"

The next Talk About It! program is tentatively scheduled for April, and will address the hot topic of gambling. There will be opportunities in the future for people to let the Library know which subjects they would like to discuss.

02/23/2006


Department of External Affairs, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710, FAX (215) 567-7850