PEN AMERICA NEEDS YOUR HELP.
#FREETHEBOOKS
In classrooms and libraries across the country, the freedom to read is under assault by restrictions and bans on books. PEN America has documented nearly 6,000 instances of individual books being banned since the fall of 2021 in our book ban research series Banned in the USA. In the 2022-2023 school year alone, 1,557 unique titles were affected. Join us to #FreeTheBooks by taking action below and making your voice heard. You can also support our book ban work by donating today.
We're Suing Escambia County
A federal judge in Florida has allowed our first-of-its-kind federal lawsuit against book bans in Escambia County, Florida to proceed. Our lawsuit, filed with Penguin Random House, banned authors, and parents and students in the district, claims these bans violate the First Amendment and engage in unlawful viewpoint discrimination. To give you a sense of how bad things have gotten in Escambia, we published a list of more than 1,600 of their banned books, including the dictionary. (Actually, five of them.)
Stand With Students: Oppose Texas HB 900
This week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard BookPeople v. Wong, a lawsuit against book ban law HB 900. We applaud the bookstores and bookseller associations leading the lawsuit against this unconstitutional law, and we remain in solidarity with Texas students leading the fight for their freedom to read from their classrooms to their Capitol.
All students deserve access to inclusive, representative, and culturally relevant libraries. We urge the Fifth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision in BookPeople v. Wong, and ask all Texans to stand with the students protecting their freedom to read.
Fight for the Freedom to Read in Florida
Florida now has the highest number of book bans in the US. Join with bestselling authors to fight these censorious efforts.
Tell State Officials to Protect the Freedom to Read
For Banned Books Week 2023, PEN America and We Believe gathered a consortium of publishers and nonprofit organizations to rally behind the freedom to read with this open letter. Send your own letter using our form.
Urge Congress to Protect the Freedom to Learn
With a 33% increase in book bans over the last two school years, we need our national leaders to join us in the fight the freedom to learn. Urge Congress to support H.Res. 733/S. Res. 372 and stand up against censorship in America’s public schools.
Tell Florida: 'Don't Say Gay' Doesn't Apply to School Libraries
We joined free expression allies in alerting Florida schools to legal filings by the state’s Attorney General that the “Don’t Say Gay” law doesn’t apply to school libraries. Add your voice by sending an email to the Florida Department of Education commissioner, Manny Diaz, Jr., urging him to tell schools the law doesn’t apply to school libraries.
Donations from activists like you provide the essential resources we need to defend the freedom to write worldwide. Please consider making a donation in support of this vital work. Thank you.
WE'RE SUING
PEN America, Penguin Random House, and a diverse group of authors have joined with parents and students from Escambia County, Florida, to file a federal lawsuit challenging removals and restrictions of books from school libraries that violate their rights to free speech and equal protection under the law.
SPEAK UP
- Add your name to the growing band of activists working and striving to protect the written word.
- Stay informed of new threats and learn how you can help fight censorship by signing up for PEN America’s newsletter.
- Become a member of PEN America and join a dedicated community readers, writers, and free speech defenders.
- Get tips on what to say at school board and public library meetings.
FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Are you a student whose school or library has proposed or already removed or restricted access to books?
- Report book bans in your community, and get in touch with our experts.
- Our tip sheet, How to Fight Book Bans, has steps you can take to organize readers, writers, and educators in your community and fight back against bans, gag orders, and restrictions.
- Learn more about our Free Expression Advocacy Institutes, PEN America’s signature educational and training programs which are designed to provide students with innovative opportunities to learn about and take action on free expression issues in the United States and worldwide.
- Get advice for what to say at school board and public library meetings.
- Help others learn about book bans by sharing our book bans FAQ.
- Learn how to plan a peaceful protest.
FOR AUTHORS
Are you an author whose book has been restricted, banned, or threatened for removal?
- Start with our tip sheet for authors, So, Your Book Has Been Challenged.
- Reach out to PEN America’s Freedom to Read team for assistance. Reach Tasslyn Magnusson at [email protected].
- Stay in touch with PEN America and other writers who believe in the power of free speech by becoming a professional member today.
FOR LIBRARIANS
Are you a librarian facing threats, harassment, or pressure to remove books from your shelves?
- Start with our tip sheet for librarians, which is intended to equip librarians with strategies to navigate online abuse.
- Report a book ban to PEN America.
STAY INFORMED
Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor
Banned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools
Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools
America’s Censored Classrooms
Literature Locked Up: How Prison Book Restriction Policies Constitute the Nation’s Largest Book Ban
Stay In Touch
PEN America is hard at work fighting the the educational gag orders, book bans, and “transparency” bills that threaten free expression and academic freedom in the classroom. Sign up to receive email updates about PEN America’s vital work on these issues, including reports, legislative roundups, media coverage, and advocacy alerts.