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From July 2021 to the end of the 2023 school year, PEN America recorded nearly 10,000 instances of book bans across the United States. Of those books, 37% directly addressed issues of race and racism, while 36% included LGBTQ+ characters or themes.
Book bans erase history and represent the effort to silence those most underrepresented in literature.
But we know that diverse stories are essential. They validate the experiences of those who can see themselves in those stories and they encourage empathy and understanding in those who don’t. Reading is a powerful act of resistance and so many are scared of that power.
So, when it feels like our reality has crumbled into a dystopian nightmare, what do we do? We use the power of books, form our own team of heroes, and fight against censorship and for stories that matter!
Banned Books Week is an annual event that takes place from September 22 - 28 in 2024. Here are 14 ways you can fight book bans today and every day!
By the way, some of the links in this article (like books!) are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
They'll help you stay informed so you can take action during Banned Books Week all year long.
Read banned books.
One of the easiest (and most fun!) ways to support a banned book is to read it. Stories have power, and the more people who read a story, and share that story with others, the harder it is to silence that story.
While you’re at it, purchase the banned book from an independent bookstore and show the authors of banned books that we will continue to support them no matter what!
According to the American Library Association, as many as 82-97% of challenges (attempts to ban books) remain unreported. If you find out that a library, school, or institution is attempting to ban a book in your community, make sure it doesn’t happen in the darkness.
The American Library Association has an excellent resource for reporting censorship of books. Visit their website to fill out the information about a book that was banned to raise awareness.
Graphic courtesy of The American Library Association
Advocate on social media.
Post on social media about a banned book and advocate for why it shouldn’t be banned. Whether it’s a photo from your camera roll, a poem you were inspired to write, or a piece of art you created, visibility is such an important part of defending banned books.
Show (and tell) us why your favorite banned book shouldn’t be banned!
Find others, too, by using the hashtags #DefendBooks and #BannedBooks to help these posts reach more people. Your efforts will help ensure these silent and reported challenges become public challenges, and are eventually overturned.
Donate to organizations making banned books accessible to all.
Book Defenders, a campaign by Fandom Forward, is training hundreds of new activists on how to effectively fight book bans in their own communities.
One of Fandom Forward’s core principles is to make activism more accessible for everyone, so they provide this training for free. If you want to be a part of the community supporting Fandom Forward’s work in training people all over the world to fight against censorship, donate today!
You can also donate to any of the following organizations, which ensure that reading materials stay accessible to all:
Lots of places in your community should be open to book donations like libraries, shelters, schools, or other nonprofits dedicated to literacy and education.
Where you donate books is up to you, but it’s important that you first confirm if the organization is able to accept the donations. Some organizations might also have specific requirements for donations or might be looking for books for certain age groups. Always make sure to ask what they’re looking for.
When it’s appropriate – and when the organization tells you it’s okay – donate banned books to increase accessibility to the book!
Find or contribute to a Little Free Library that stocks banned books.
Look up some of these locations to “shop” for books, donate your own copies, or — if you can’t find a location in your area — create your own Little Free Library.
Host or attend a Banned Books Week event.
There will certainly be a wide variety of Banned Books Week events at your local libraries, which you can search on the ALA’s website, based on your location.
The last day of the week — September 28 — is Let Freedom Read Day, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any events or called to actions on that date, too!
But you can also take things one step further and host your own event. Host a house party, picnic, Zoom call, or another type of party themed around banned books to get others interested in the cause. (It’s easier than you think!) Fandom Forward created a toolkit to get you started.
Volunteer at your local library. (Libraries are important and amazing!) As a library volunteer, you can encourage supervisors and peers to support banned books and make sure they are available for members of your community.
Follow efforts to ban books in your area by keeping up with PEN America’s detailed reports — and by keeping your ears open in your own community.
After you’ve found a school or library that needs support in your area, send an email to decision makers expressing that you are against book bans.
If these restrictions are still being considered, the next best thing you can do is show up in person.
Whether it’s a PTA meeting, a school board meeting, or some other type of public forum, find out who makes the decision to ban books and make your voice heard.
As the National Coalition Against Censorship says, “Expressing your views on the book and why students should be allowed to read it would help to balance the objecting parents’ perspectives, making it more likely for school officials to take an objective decision, rather than pressured one.”
Contact the press.
The media is hugely important in spreading the news of book banning, and also influencing public opinion on the topic. If you know of book censorship happening in your community, contact the local press and ask them to write about it!
All reputable media outlets will have a contact page, tip line, or editors’ email addresses easily accessible. Another effective method is writing a letter to the editor explaining why this is such an important issue.
Write a supportive letter to an author of banned books.
Learning that a book you’ve written, a story that you’ve poured your whole self into, has been banned can’t be a good feeling. Plus, authors themselves are some of the fiercest advocates against book bans.
Take some time to write some supportive letters to the authors who are being targeted by these book bans and be sure to share with them what their book meant to you. Let them know that not everyone wants to censor their words.
This is certainly the most daunting action on this list, but we think you’re up for the challenge! Arguably, the most direct way that you can stop book bans is to become part of those making the decisions.
Get connected with Run For Something — an organization that recruits and supports young progressives running for offices at all levels of government — to get started.
Banned Books Week typically takes place at the beginning of the American school year during the last full week of September. In 2024, Banned Books Week is September 22-28.
According to the American Library Association, this year's theme is “Freed Between the Lines.”
Who is the Honorary Chair for Banned Books Week 2024?
Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay has been named honorary chair for Banned Books Week 2024. She will be joined by youth honorary chair Julia Garnett, a student activist who fought book bans in her home state of Tennessee.
