New York City Libraries Join National Fight Against Book Censorship

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In September, one of the largest public school systems in Tennessee banned Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Beloved. In 2023, a school in Massachusetts removed Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer after a parent objected to the illustrations. A librarian was fired in Texas after she refused to move so-called inappropriate books behind the counter, including a title about the origins of the KKK.

These are just a few examples of the many instances of book bans that have surged across the country. According to data from PEN America, there were over 10,000 book bans during the 2023–24 school year—almost three times the number from the previous year. 

Now, in an unprecedented display of solidarity, over 350 libraries, booksellers, publishers, advocates, and members of the public who support the freedom to read will hold rallies and take action nationwide on October 19 for the Banned Books Week. All three library systems in New York City—Brooklyn, Queens, and New York—will participate, alongside organizations like the ALA, United Against Book Bans, and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, uniting with communities against censorship.

Just five years ago, such a collective response would have been unimaginable. But today, hostile attacks on books and librarians who serve the public are commonplace in school board meetings and city council hearings, fueled by a small and vocal minority. In fact, surveys show that a majority of Americans oppose efforts to restrict books in public schools, and most are confident in public schools’ book selection process.

In May 2023, Florida enacted legislation creating a statutory process for book banning by requiring that any book challenged for “sexual conduct” be removed during the review process. This law significantly contributed to the rise in book bans during the 2023–24 school year.

Since then, several other states have passed similar legislation. And just two months later, in July 2023, Iowa adopted a law requiring all materials to be “age-appropriate”—a definition that has been broadly applied to books with any content related to sex or gender. The change led to a surge in book bans during the 2023–24 school year, compared to just 14 bans from 2021–23. In Utah, 13 books—12 of which are authored by women—have already been removed from schools statewide under a new law that triggers a ban after just three of 41 school districts claim they contain indecent material. Similar regulations exist in South Carolina and in Tennessee where the 2022 law is now being expanded.

And this legislation doesn’t stop at removing books from classroom and library shelves. Today, teachers and librarians in some jurisdictions face disciplinary action if they recommend the “wrong” book.

What’s more, we know that our youth are eager to read: Brooklyn Public Library has distributed over 9 thousand eCards to young people in all 50 states as part of its Books Unbanned program, granting them free access to the library system’s full digital catalogue. They have checked out nearly 300 thousand books in the last two years.

Teens across the country are bearing the brunt of book bans. From coast to coast, young readers are losing access to critical books that help shape their identities and affirm their experiences. Through our work, we have collected numerous testimonies from young people that tell stories of frustration, fear, and a fight for access. One 17-year-old from Texas shared, “as a person of color, it sucks to not be able to see myself in novels.” An LGBTQIA+ teen from Georgia says, “I have already been so scared in school and in the community to show who I am and now they are taking away the one thing I had as an escape.” These testimonies reveal that for many, reading is not just an educational tool but a vital resource for understanding themselves and one another. After hearing thousands of stories like these, we can’t help but be inspired by the young people who are fighting for their right to read, and the librarians across the country who remain committed to stamping out censorship in their communities.

The alarming number of book bans so far this year shows that the few who support censorship are not backing down. But neither are we. Reading is a fundamental right—we must protect it.