PEN America CEO to U.S. House Panel: Book Bans and Educational Gag Orders are ‘an Orchestrated Effort to Polarize, Intimidate, and Restrict Flow of Ideas’
Nossel, a former diplomat and veteran human rights advocate, warned that these disturbing trends at home tarnish America’s global image and undermine the effort to counter rising authoritarianism. “As… More
New Bill Politicizing Libraries in Kentucky is a Massive Alarm Bell for the Freedom to Read
Summer Lopez, Senior Director of Free Expression programs at PEN America, stated: "Though often unheralded as such, public libraries are the beating heart of democracy, making access to the… More
Online Conversation March 16 on Access to Books in Prisons and the Use of E-Readers
With 2 million people in prisons and jails across the country, restricting reading could have profound ramifications for the men and women cycled through the criminal legal system and… More
Florida Bill Would Let Parents and Citizens Challenge Any Book Used in Schools
"HB 1467 has been touted as a measure to increase school transparency," said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America's Free Expression and Education program, "but the real aim is… More
New Guidance: E-Readers in Prisons Must Expand Access to Reading, Not Supplant Books Altogether
New guidance on e-readers use in prisons seeks to expand reading, not supplant books altogether. More