Day of Action Drives media coverage and Local Action

PHOTO ABOVE: On October 19, the Garfield County Public Library District (CO) organized a public event, costume contest for kids, and a march in observation of the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action. Community members concluded the march by taping a petition to the county administration building doors, asking the commissioners to rescind their action taking over the selection of library trustees and ending an 18-year practice of confirming the library’s appointments.

On October 19, more than 175 events took place across the country in observation of the first-ever Freedom to Read Community Day of Action—a massive and inspiring outpouring of support for this fundamental right.

The effort was spearheaded by the Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Public Library, with national partners the American Library Association, Association for Rural & Small Libraries, and Unite Against Book Bans. By organizing together, these partners made an expansive suite of event planning, community outreach, and promotional resources freely available to libraries, bookstores, and other community organizations to support their participation.

Organizations in 43 states and the District of Columbia signed up through Unite Against Book Bans to join this historic day of action. Other Unite national partners also signed up to help spread the word, including the African American Policy Forum, American Booksellers Association, Atomic Focus Entertainment, Authors Against Book Bans, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, The BookFest, Hope in a Box, OverDrive, Silent Book Club, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Teaching for Change, and United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY).

During Freedom to Read Day of Action events and activities, organizers reminded their communities that libraries and the freedom to read are American values that must be protected. Event participants took action by showing up, checking out and reading banned books, signing up for library cards, registering to vote, signing the Freedom to Read Pledge, and sending thousands of letters to Congress urging support for the freedom to read.

Selected media coverage appears below. To submit stories, links, photos, or videos from your event, please use this form.