NEWS AND UPDATES
Lawyers for Libraries, a project of the American Library Association, is designed to create a network of attorneys around the country involved in, or committed to becoming involved in, the defense of the First Amendment freedom to read and the application of constitutional law to library policies, principles, and problems.
How does book censorship impact teachers and students?
Data from First Book Research & Insights illustrates how mandated book bans are negatively impacting teachers and students. At the heart of this debate is whether a small group of individuals has the right to dictate what other people’s children are allowed to read – and to impose their restrictions on the rest of the nation.
Book Bans and LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health
New research from The Trevor Project—the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people—sheds light on the harms caused by book bans and curriculum censorship legislation.
Banned Author Jodi Picoult’s Tour Recruits Thousands to Anti-Censorship Movement
Banned author Jodi Picoult promotes libraries and the freedom to read on her 2024 tour for “By Any Other Name” (Ballantine, 2024).
Unite Against Book Bans is a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship.
We are not alone. On both sides of the aisle, large majorities of voters and parents oppose book bans.
of voters oppose efforts to remove books from public libraries.
of voters oppose efforts to remove books from school libraries.
Full poll results and key findings available via the American Library Association.
And yet, attempts to ban books from libraries continue to rise at an unprecedented level across the country. The American Library Association reported 1,247 attempts to censor library books and resources in 2023, primarily driven by efforts of pressure groups to censor multiple titles at a time in public and school libraries.
Book bans harm communities.
Students cannot access critical information to help them understand themselves and the world around them. Parents lose the opportunity to engage in teachable moments with their kids. And communities lose the opportunity to learn and build mutual understanding.
Although book bans are nothing new, they continue to happen at an alarming and unprecedented rate.
If you believe...
- Books are tools for understanding complex issues.
- Young people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library’s books.
- Parents should not be making decisions for other parents’ children.
- Individuals should be trusted to make their own decisions about what to read.
- Limiting young people’s access to books does not protect them from life’s complex and challenging issues.
Empowered by Reading
There are many important benefits of providing children and youth with a wide variety of developmentally appropriate reading materials - books which reflect their personal life experiences, as well a the experiences, stories, and histories of others in and beyond their communities.
Action Toolkit
Take a stand against book bans. Check out the UABB action toolkit and defend the right to read in your community.
Become a Partner
We can't defeat book bans alone. Unite with us as an organizational partner, and together we'll work to defeat censorship.
Merch Against Book Bans
Show the world that you unite against book bans with our official UABB apparel and totes, available in the ALA Graphics Store. All purchases support the Unite Against Book Bans campaign and our efforts to fight censorship.
This campaign is organized by the American Library Association and was launched with the generous support of the Steve & Loree Potash Family Foundation and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Help us continue the fight against censorship. Your donation supports our efforts to defend the freedom to read for all Americans.