Summary
During Banned Books Week, you can help support reading and readers in a variety of ways. Here are doable suggestions and additional links to learn more.
Concerned about books bans? Unsure how best to support schools and libraries in providing books to readers? The organizers behind the annual Banned Books Week (September 22-28, 2024) provides helpful ways to get involved, whether you’re an author, illustrator, publishing professional, teacher, librarian, parent, caregiver, or other concerned citizen. Here are five ways to help.
1. Celebrate Let Freedom Read Day
The team behind Banned Books Week asks that we all do one thing to keep books in the hands of readers on September 28, 2024. To celebrate Let Freedom Read Day, you could:
Register to vote (or update your voter registration) if needed, and research candidates that share your vision of access to books.
Call school and library administrators, school board and library board members, city councilpersons, and/or your elected representatives to ask them to support the right to read.
Here are other ways to get involved and push back against book bans.
Additional resources:
2. Join the Authors Against Book Bans Organization
Are you an author, illustrator, publisher or other person who makes books? Join Authors Against Books Bans and join forces with fellow book creators concerned about the movement to limit the freedom to read.
To learn more about Authors Against Book Bans, you can also listen to this literaticast podcast episode from August 2024.
3. Discover the Top 10 Most Challenged Books
Banned Books Week tracks the top challenged books as reported in the media and submitted by librarians and teachers across the country. Learn which books are being challenged and why. (Did you know the most challenged book of 2023 was Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe?)
See the rest of the top 10 most challenged books of 2023 here.
4. Support Books and Reading
One way you can support the people who make and sell books is to buy them, read them, and share them. If you wish to help others access these books, the team at Banned Books Week suggests you buy a banned book and donate it your local library (call first to find out what they need and how to donate) or a Little Free Library. Use the free LFL mobile app to find a Little Free Library book-sharing box near you.
5. Learn More Banned Books Week – and Talk About the Issue with Other People
Visit Banned Books Week on social media and let other people know what’s going on by using these hashtags: #LetFreedomReadDay and #BannedBooksWeek
Banned Books Week on Facebook
Banned Books Week on Instagram
Banned Books Week on Pinterest
Find out more here about Banned Books Week.
Banned Books Week is an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. The event is supported by a coalition of organizations dedicated to free expression, including American Booksellers for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Amnesty International USA, Association of University Presses, Authors Guild, Banned Books Week Sweden, Children’s Book Council, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Freedom to Read Foundation, GLAAD, Index on Censorship, Little Free Library, National Book Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, PEN America, People For the American Way Foundation, PFLAG, and Project Censored. Banned Books Week also receives generous support from Penguin Random House.
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