Freedom to Read Project

@freedomreadproject.bsky.social

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Parent-led nonprofit dedicated to protecting access to information in our schools and public libraries. www.freedomtoreadproject.org

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Step 6: Agencies write the rules. Laws often set broad requirements. Education agencies or school boards at the federal or state level may then create rules explaining: How the law will be implemented Required procedures Timelines Guidance for schools This process often includes opportunities for public input.
Step 3: Committee review. Committees study the bill before the full legislature votes. They may: Hear public testimony Debate the proposal Amend the language Vote to move it forward or stop it Many bills never make it out of committee.
How are education laws made?
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed.
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Question ideas to ask school board candidates. Option 4: If elected chair, how will you ensure book review policies are followed fairly and decisions aren't based on viewpoint?
Question ideas to ask school board candidates. Option 1: Can you share your views on the freedom to read? HOw will you ensure school libraries remain places where students can access diverse ideas?
of the unique titles challenged in 2025, 39% represent the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color. That's 1,671 books challenged.
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Consumer activism: how to support the freedom to read with your purchasing power. buy books from independent bookstores. check out challenged titles from your library. support publishers committed to diverse voices. donate banned books. contribute to organizations defending intellectual freedom
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." -Benjamin Franklin
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Did you know...? A few facts about Freedom to Read Project
22,810 instance of books banned in US public schools from 2021-2025 according to PEN America
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flipping through the workbook
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." - George Orwell
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the first amendment belongs to everyone, regardless of politics, relision, or ideology
when books are removed without die process, it's not just a library issue. it's a first amendment issue
why does the freedom to read project defend the first amendment
according to the American Library Association, 92% of book challenges in 2025 were initiated by pressure groups, government officials, administrators, and other decision-makers.
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books broaden perspectives. LGBTQ stories help readers better understand the world and the many ways people experience it
the benefits of reading LGBTQ books at any age
the average publication date of the most banned books in America is 2008
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reading routines for summer. make it a habit.
Reading for fun is especially beneficial. Children who choose books that interest them are more likely to read regularly and develop positive lifelong reading habits.
the importance of summer reading
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shirt that says "think freely, speak freely, read freely, live freely"
freedom to read project. memorial day. remember and honor.
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it hurts libraries and communities. libraries could face legal risk, lose funding, and be forced to police materials instead of serving their communities and supporting readers.
books not labels. a national book rating system wouldn't protect readers, it would limit them. a government-mandated rating system may sound helpful, but the risks are real
Millennial readers: Book bans are harmful because they restrict access to knowledge, silence diverse perspectives, and undermine the freedom to think critically. Gen Z readers: Book bans are giving dystopian nightmare.
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our top five horror movies: (1) banning books instead of reading them (2) law making for outrage and division (3) courts treating books in public libraries as government speech (4) empty library shelves (5) kids without books
banned nonfiction books double in public schools. 29% of unique titles banned last year were nonfiction.
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Book exploration checklist: ☐ A genre you “never read” (poetry, sci-fi, romance, horror, graphic novels) ☐ An author from a different culture, country, or lived experience ☐ A debut author or small press book ☐ A classic you’ve been avoiding ☐ A banned or frequently challenged book ☐ A nonfiction topic you know nothing about ☐ A story in translation ☐ A book with a narrator unlike you ☐ A format switch (audiobook, verse novel, hybrid, essays) ☐ A theme that challenges your assumptions
Books to read before you die: (1) anything that seems like an idea or story worth exploring. (2) end of list.
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The novel DRAMA by Raina Telgemeier sits on a high school library shelf in western Arkansas. It went through the county’s review process twice and both times the committee decided to keep it on the shelves. Shannon Murphy, a parent of a senior at the school, is volunteering for the day and is stationed in the school library. She notices the book and reads the back blurb, realizing it contains the main character attracted to two brothers. Shannon attends the next school board meeting and declares that the school is “pushing pornography” at the students. Conservative media picks up the story, creating coverage of the “controversy.”
Ray Bradbury quote: You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
Signatures of those in opposition
Statement in opposition to HR 7661
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GO to usa.gov/elected-officials and call your rep. "Hello my name is [your name], and I'm a constituent from [your city/zip code]. I'm calling to urge [rep/senator name] to support the freedom to read and oppose efforts to ban books or restrict access in schools and libraries. Access to diverse books and ideas is essential for education, critical thinking, and a healthy democracy. Decisions about what individuals read should not be dictated b political pressure. I also ask that you support funding for libraries and protect the role of trained librarians in our communities. Thank you for your time, and I would appreciate knowing the representative's position on the issue."
stay informed and speak up when funding is threatened
how to support IMLS: federal funding and support are under threat
School libraries are built on the principle of access, not endorsement.
School Libraries Matter: Why We Should Care and How to Take Action