Supporting the freedom to read during Banned Books Week is about more than good will – it’s about action.
On October 7, 2023, Let Freedom Read Day, the Banned Books Week Coalition is asking everyone to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship and to stand up for the library staff, educators, writers, publishers and booksellers who make them available.
Here’s how you can take action next week on Let Freedom Read Day and beyond:
If you have 5 minutes…
- Call a decision maker
- Support an advocacy organization
- Join Unite Against Book Bans
If you have 15 minutes…
- Check out a banned book
- Buy a banned book or help others access banned books—donate to a Little Free Library
If you have 30 minutes…
- Write a letter using tips from the Unite Against Book Bans Action Toolkit or sample letters from the National Coalition Against Censorship’s School Book Challenge Resource Center
- Plan to attend a school board, library board, or city council meeting using the Unite Against Book Bans guide, adapted from PFLAG’s Plan to Testify at Local Board Meetings
If you have an hour or more…
- Volunteer at your local library
- Start organizing with tips from the Unite Against Book Bans Action Toolkit: for Grassroots Organizing and GLAAD’s Book Bans – A Guide for Community Response and Action
For more info, check out the Let Freedom Read Day website or download the Let Freedom Read Action Sheet (embedded below).
And don’t forget: Censorship won’t stop just because Banned Books Week does — you can take action any day of the year.
