The week of September 22 through September 28 is Banned Books Week; this week was launched back in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools at that time in our country. Fast forward to 2024; many school librarians are still navigating book challenges and book removals that started back in 2021 and that have moved beyond school libraries and into public libraries. This is year three of what will likely be marked as a historical time in the next century. And while these last three years have been challenging, we have seen many organizations come together to address the rise in the removal of books and work to educate stakeholders and communities on the impacts book removals can have and consider strategies in the battle against book challenges.

Last week, I had the opportunity to represent AASL at the Free People Read Freely: A National Summit on Democracy, Book Banning, and Book Censorship in the 21st Century. This event brought together representatives from various organizations and divisions of ALA to network, share and consider new opportunities to communicate the effects book bans are having on libraries and librarians.

The one-day event included an agenda and schedule of events with a launch by ALA President, Cindy Hohl followed by a keynote by author, Nikole Hannah Jones. There were several panels on a variety of topics and the day ended with a closing keynote by author, Annalee Newitz and a thank you by ALA President-Elect, Sam Hemick. Library Journal was present at the summit and wrote an article summarizing in detail the happenings of the day, along with what speakers shared. The summit was inspiring, energizing and a reminder of the many actions being taken by allied partners on the intellectual freedom frontlines.

Whether you have endured book challenges or not, school librarians have all felt, seen or feared the potential impacts book challenges have had. It is important, now more than ever, to seek out support from colleagues and friends. If you know of colleagues going through difficult times, be sure to reach out and check on them. We are #strongertogether! We need to lean on one another, seek out our allies and continue to share stories affirming why school libraries are important. We need to leverage each individual interaction with stakeholders, build relationships with them in order to build understanding about the work we do.

Finally, it’s critically important for school librarians to understand what is happening on the intellectual freedom front lines, and learn about ways to address book challenges. During Banned Books Week, there will be a variety of in-person and virtual events offering opportunities to glean ideas, hear about any new trends, and come together in community with fellow individuals in favor of preserving the freedom to read. Check out the Banned Books Week event page to learn more.

PS: September 28, 2024 is Let Freedom Read Day. This is a call to action for all school librarians. I hope you’ll consider taking one action in support of access and the rights of readers.