WHO WE ARE
With more than 200 partner organizations and tens of thousands of individual supporters, Unite Against Book Bans connects, equips, and mobilizes the public to advocate in their communities for the right to read and to defeat attempts at every level of government to censor reading material.
Unite represents the overwhelming majority of Americans that believe in the freedom to read. Our coalition members are readers, parents, students, educators, librarians and library workers, authors, publishers, community and advocacy organizations, businesses and workers, nonprofits, faith groups, elected officials, civic leaders, and other concerned people who stand ready to oppose censorship.
Unite Against Book Bans is an initiative of the American Library Association, a 501(c)3 organization. Please consider supporting our work:
OUR MISSION
Unite Against Book Bans strives to stop the removal of reading materials from America’s libraries and schools, which has soared to record highs in recent years. Unite is working to defeat the vocal minority that seeks to impose their views on others by restricting the First Amendment right to read freely.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
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- Reading is a foundational skill, critical to learning and exercising our democratic freedoms.
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- Individuals must be trusted and have the right to make their own decisions about what to read.
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- Parents should not make decisions about what to read for other parents' children.
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- Library materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
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- Books are tools for understanding complex issues. Limiting access to books does not offer protection from life's complex and challenging issues.
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- All people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library's books.
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- Library workers should not be subject to harassment, intimidation, arrest, or threats of legal action for fulfilling their professional obligation to serve all members of their community.
WHAT WE DO
Unite Against Book Bans works to educate the public about trends in book banning and the negative impact that bans have on readers, educators, authors, and our democratic society. We encourage everyone to be aware of and report censorship attempts in their communities.
With hundreds of national, state, and local partners and the support of tens of thousands of individuals who have joined the campaign, Unite mobilizes communities through:
AN ACTION TOOLKIT with voter-tested nonpartisan talking points, tips for contacting decision makers and working with media, grassroots organizing ideas, and more.
INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE AND GUIDANCE for community advocates who need help with developing a coalition of support, responding to opposition, identifying speakers, and engaging policymakers.
TARGETED MESSAGING AND CALLS TO ACTION on behalf of community advocates. To request assistance mobilizing Unite supporters in your community, contact us.
BOOK RÉSUMÉS that help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members combat misinformation and defend books from censorship. New résumés are added regularly!
HOW BOOK BANS HARM COMMUNITIES
Free people read freely. Banning books and removing access to information take away choices from everyone. Free people can choose what they read but they cannot choose what the entire community reads.
Censorship hurts our democracy—how can we choose our leaders and laws if we don’t have free access to information? All people, including young people, deserve to see themselves reflected in books and reading materials, and people of every age deserve the chance to learn about different ideas and experiences. Censorship takes away everyone’s right to learn, think critically, and make decisions for their own lives and communities.
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN AND STAY CONNECTED
Stay alert with updates, tools, and future actions from the Unite Against Book Bans campaign to help you stay aware of and fight censorship efforts in your community.
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Every person who joins the campaign is one more voice to speak out when their community is threatened by censorship.
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