This blog post is by Margret Aldrich, Director of Communications with Little Free Library, a Unite Against Book Bans partner.
The Little Free Library® (LFL) nonprofit organization is pleased to introduce an interactive map that highlights two key features: locations of book bans across the United States and locations of nearby Little Free Library book-sharing boxes. This dual-purpose tool not only reveals the widespread epidemic of book banning, but also connects readers to Little Free Libraries that serve as vital distribution points for free access to these restricted books.
There are more than 180,000 Little Free Library boxes in urban, suburban, and rural areas worldwide. As book banning continues to accelerate—with a record 4,240 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2023, according to the American Library Association—this network of community book-sharing boxes gives advocates an opportunity to distribute banned books in a grassroots way.
“Banned books are welcome in Little Free Library book-sharing boxes,” said LFL Executive Director Greig Metzger. “Our new interactive map allows you to find both the areas hit hardest by book bans and the nearest Little Free Library box locations, where you can share books that have been censored or just books you love. The heart of our mission is to expand access to books, and we hope this map inspires you to provide access to the banned books that are meaningful to you.”
Using the Book Ban Map
LFL’s map shows book bans at both state and county levels, as well as the location of mapped Little Free Library book-sharing boxes across the United States. The number of bans per state or county are visualized using a color scale—the darker the purple, the more bans in the area.
Tips to use the map:
- Use the toggle selections in the top-right corner to switch between viewing book bans at a county level or state level.
- Hover over a state to see its book ban numbers. For example, when hovering over Florida, 2,647 attempted book bans are shown.
- Use the search bar in the top-left corner to search for book bans in a specific location.
- Zoom into the blue clusters to view Little Free Library locations. Click on any blue pin to view the charter number of that Little Free Library. (Want more information about a Little Free Library’s location? Go to LFL’s world map or mobile app and look up the library by charter number, which will allow you to see its address and get directions.)
To begin using LFL’s Book Ban Map and find out more information, visit: littlefreelibrary.org/book-ban-map
