Action 1: Check out a challenged book. Yes, it seems simple and it is. Libraries track lots of statistics, including when books are used in or checked out from the library, which help prove that people want these books. Need some suggestions? We got you: ala.org/advocacy/bbook…
Action 2: Make a plan to attend board meetings. These are the primary battlegrounds where book challenges are being fought, making this one of the most critical actions you can take. We've adapted a great resource from @PFLAG to help you: uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-read-…
Action 3: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or to your elected officials. Don’t worry, no postage required - you can do it all online. Find helpful tools and examples to help you craft your message here: uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-read-…
Action 4: Report censorship. @OIF tracks challenges to library materials and resources and can provide support for libraries and library workers facing censorship attempts. Reports are completely confidential: ala.org/tools/challeng…
New censorship numbers from @OIF are out this morning. The organized campaigns to ban books continue, and the overwhelming swell of censorship attempts that school libraries have been experiencing is increasingly occurring at public libraries.
#UniteAgainstBookBans
A record 4,240 unique titles were targeted for censorship in 2023, more than the previous two years combined. Almost half of the books targeted represent the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals.
Pressure groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens or hundreds at a time, drove a surge in the number of book titles challenged while keeping the number of challenges on par with the record-setting number of challenges in 2022.
ICYMI: This week the @ObamaFoundation and @BarackObama teamed up with libraries to create a series of fun videos about the importance of libraries and the freedom to read. We could not love them more, so we're reposting all 4.
@KankakeeLibrary 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 tiktok.com/@kankakeepubli…
"Libraries for allllllll," featuring the former president and everyone's favorite library pitchman/huckster, Curbside Larry. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
We loved that strategically placed #BannedBooksWeek poster, @harriscountypl! tiktok.com/@harriscountyp…
Woodland Public Library's Henrietta the library cat got a book recommendation from the former president.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
#FreeCatsReadFreely
#UniteAgainstBookBans tiktok.com/@woodlandpubli…
This year’s State of America’s Libraries finds libraries at the epicenter of the dialogue and debate about the wellbeing of our communities, the health of our economy, and the state of our democracy. Read our full report: bit.ly/soal-2023#NationalLibraryWeek
From connecting the unhoused to technology and providing an innovative approach to photo identification through enhanced library cards to exploring the natural world with digital beehives, 2022 was a year of adaptability and innovation for libraries. #NationalLibraryWeek
But 2022 also saw unprecedented attempts to ban library books across the U.S. Today’s report includes the Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022, which makes clear what books are being targeted: books by and about LGBTQIA+ and Black people. #BannedBooksListbit.ly/ALA-Top10
🚨 Less than two days until the @MacmillanUSA eBook embargo takes effect. Right now, we are headed from DC to NYC to deliver the ~160,000 signatures on the #eBooksForAll petition.
Follow along. Spread the word. For you last minute signers, join now: eBooksForAll.org
Big Update: In the final hours before the embargo, @MacmillanUSA CEO John Sargent "respectfully" writes an open letter to libraries.
This morning, the White House released the budget proposal for FY 2019. It calls for the elimination of @US_IMLS, and approximately $183 million in direct funding to libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). bit.ly/2ED9MV4#FundLibraries
The proposal also calls for the elimination of Innovative Approaches to Literacy, a Dept of Education program. #FundLibraries
Congress has the final say on the FY 2019 budget - contact your Senators and Representative remind them that libraries play a vital role in our communities. Ask them to #FundLibraries and #SaveIMLS