PEN America joined public libraries, authors, advocates, and readers across the country to unite in standing up for books and fighting censorship on the Freedom to Read Day of Action on Oct. 19.
The day of action was a chance for people to learn about book bans, send letters to elected officials, and join organizations defending the right to read. The event came as PEN America’s latest figures reveal a stunning 10,000 instances of school bans over the 2023-2024 school year.
Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read at PEN America, joined a screening of the documentary Banned Together and panel discussion at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.
At the New York and Brooklyn public libraries, PEN America provided information on book bans and joined special guests including Sasha Velour, winner of Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, authors of the classic children’s book And Tango Makes Three.
In Boston, Sabrina Baeta, PEN America’s Freedom to Read program manager, spoke at an event at Copley Square central library.
And in Los Angeles, students perused banned books at a Digital Futures and AI Frontiers Student Summit held by PEN America and LA County Library to discuss emerging opportunities and threats to freedom of expression online, including the rise of artificial intelligence.
The day of action, organized by Unite Against Book Bans, included more than 100 events in 35 states to highlight the role libraries play within their communities and celebrate the joy of reading.
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You can fight book bans by sending a letter through PEN America’s Don’t Censor America campaign.
