he American Library Association (ALA) has designated April 24, 2023 as the inaugural Right to Read Day. More than simple acknowledgement, it’s a national day of advocacy and action! The ALA is calling on readers, library lovers, and free speech advocates everywhere to defend their right to read freely, and take concrete action to preserve it:

• Check out a library book that’s at risk of being banned.
• Write a letter speaking out against book banning to the editor of your local newspaper, or an elected leader.
• Let your voice be heard at a meeting of your library board, school board, or other local officials.
• Organize a peaceful public event in support of libraries.
• Report censorship to the Office for Intellectual Freedom.
• Support, and spread the word about websites that speak out against censorship, sites like com

Right to Read Day also marks the first anniversary of Unite Against Banned Books, a public-facing advocacy campaign founded by the ALA to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the increasingly important fight against censorship.[1]

Since its launch in April 2022, Unite Against Book Bans has created a set of free advocacy resources for individuals, as well as providing direct support to community organizers. Get your toolkit here. [2]

But don’t limit your actions to Right to Read Day. Keep your activism against censorship going beyond April 24^th. Continue to counter the small but vocal group of voices driving the current wave of book bans in schools and public libraries.

Let’s put the kibosh on this alarming surge in book bannings.

Endnotes:

[1] “ALA calls for national day of action to protect the freedom to read, designates Right to Read Monday for 2023 National Library Week.”  March 17, 2023. ALA Member News. 

[2] Action Toolkit. Unite Against Book Bans. https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/toolkit/