Right to Read Day 2024
Right to Read Day 2024
Happy Right to Read Day!
In 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) declared a Right to Read Day as a day of action against book banning and censorship. It was included in their annual National Library Week, which celebrates and supports the work of public libraries and librarians throughout the US. Because attempts to censor or ban books in public libraries increased in 2023, the ALA decided to declare another Right to Read Day - today, April 8th, 2024 - to encourage readers across the country to stand up against book censorship.
What does the data say? According to the ALA’s study, 4,240 unique book titles were challenged in public schools and libraries in 2023, which is the highest number ever recorded. Between 2022 and 2023, the ALA documented a 92% increase in unique titles challenged in public libraries, and an 11% increase in those challenged in schools. While these numbers are appalling on their own, the data gets worse - roughly half (47%) of the books that were challenged tell the stories of Black, Indigenous, Latine, Arab, and other communities of color, as well as stories reflecting the lived experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples.
Why is this important? Studies have shown that diverse representation in school curricula improve learning outcomes for students, including higher attendance and graduation rates. In fact, a study by The Education Trust indicates that students’ self esteem, empathy, and social-emotional learning skills all improved with increased “representationally diverse curricula.” Moreover, we at Brutally Bookish firmly believe that educational censorship is about much more than books - it’s about silencing and rendering invisible BIPOC and queer communities.
Why have book bans been on the rise? Attempts at book censorship in 2023 reflect and contribute to a growing trend of anti-queer, homophobic, and transphobic legislation across US states. The ALA indicates that queerphobia was responsible for the dramatic uptick in book bans last year. Indeed, the top three banned or challenged books of 2023 all focused on the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples. Similarly, as legal scholar Marisa Shearer points out in her 2022 Northwestern Law Review article, the banning of books written about and by BIPOC peoples is part of a growing backlash against nationwide demands for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. A similar report from PEN America points to the ways in which educational gag orders and book bans openly discriminate against BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
What can you do? We’ve highlighted five organizations below that are leading the fight for our right to read. We encourage you to explore their research, action campaigns, and if you are able, to donate. You can (and should!) read banned books and support their authors, and call or write your local officials if you are concerned about book bans and educational gag orders in your communities. You can also write your congressional representatives in support of the Book Saves Lives Act, introduced by Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley in December 2023, which would (among other things) “classify discriminatory book bans as violations of federal civil rights laws.”
Organizations we love to support:
Unite Against Book Bans - Part of the ALA, Unite Against Book Bans works to empower readers to fight book censorship in their communities
American Civil Liberties Union - For decades, the ACLU has been leading the way in the defense of free speech in the US, including raising successful legal challenges against book bans and discrimination in education
Pride and Less Prejudice - Pride and Less Prejudice supplies age- appropriate LGBTQIA+ books to classrooms throughout the US
Texas FReadom Fighters - An organization of Texan librarians working in defense of libraries, the right to read, and against censorship in their state
Brooklyn Public Library - The BPL hosts a fantastic and important program called “Books Unbanned” that provides free online access to banned books to teens throughout the country