We are organizations representing parents, educators and librarians, students and readers, authors and publishers, community and advocacy organizations, businesses and workers, nonprofits and faith groups, elected officials and civic leaders, and concerned citizens who are united against book bans.

While we come from different walks of life, we all believe in the following principles:

1. Reading is a foundational skill, critical to future learning and to exercising our democratic freedoms.
2. Books are tools for understanding complex issues. Limiting young people's access to books does not protect them from life's complex and challenging issues.
3. Individuals should be trusted to make their own decisions about what to read.
4. Parents should not be making decisions for other parents' children.
5. Young people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library's books.

A majority of Americans agree with these principles and are opposed to book bans. However, efforts to ban books, especially in schools and libraries, have been occurring in unprecedented numbers across the country since 2021. The corresponding rise in state and local legislation which empowers censors or even allows criminal prosecution of librarians or teachers for simply doing their jobs is equally shocking.

We fear that the centers of knowledge for families and communities are in jeopardy. That's why we, the undersigned organizations, call on anyone in a position of power to protect the rights of everyone to access a variety of books, in libraries and elsewhere.

We call on all policymakers to Unite Against Book Bans.