5 Ways to Fight Book Bans
Censorship has swept the United States in the past several years, with more than 22,800 book bans since PEN America began tracking them in 2021 in our Banned in the USA reports. Dozens of states have passed or debated laws that restrict the freedom to read, leaving teachers and librarians feeling pressure to limit children’s access to information. Here are five things you can do to fight book bans in your community and beyond.
Organize in Your Community
- Speak out at your local school board meeting—and bring a friend!
- Write a letter defending books to your local newspaper
- Send a postcard to an author, educator, or librarian thanking them for their work
- Share your story on social media with the hashtag #FreeTheBooks
- Report a local book ban to PEN America
Vote and Get Involved Locally
School boards all the way to our national leaders play a critical role in protecting student access to books, and often have the power to allow or prevent book bans. Attend school board meetings and local town halls. Ask candidates if they will defend the freedom to read. And then vote up and down ballot!
Advocate for the Freedom to Read
Send letters to your state legislators telling them to put an end to book bans and the poorly written legislation that leads to unnecessary removals of books.
Support Banned Authors so that Diverse Stories Continue to be Told
Demonstrate to libraries and publishers that banned books are valuable to readers by checking out a banned book from a library, buying banned books, or attending an event with a banned author.
Join the Fight
Help PEN America continue to champion the freedom to write and celebrate essential voices of literature by making a donation, becoming a member, signing up for our newsletter, or following us on social media.
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