1,000 signatures reached
To: Congress
Pass the Books Save Lives Act to Stop Censorship in Schools and Libraries!
Driven by a right-wing, conservative agenda, book bans have surged in the U.S.—reaching a disturbing record high for libraries and public schools in 2023. And in 2024, a Florida school district has gone so far as to pull dictionaries and encyclopedias. This is an attack on education, learning, and literacy. We need federal protections to prevent book bans from eroding our freedom to read.
Sign the petition to call on Congress to pass the Books Save Lives Act NOW!
Why is this important?
According to PEN America, there were 3,362 book bans during the 2022-2023 school year, compromising access to more than 1,550 individual titles. Before 2023 even ended, the American Library Association reported 700 book bans in public libraries attempting to restrict more than 1,900 titles. Many of these book bans targeted marginalized authors and topics, including books on race and racism and LGBTQIA+ topics. And now, in just the first month of 2024, a school district in Florida—where over 40% of school book bans took place last year—has already removed a terrifying 2,000 titles from their shelves for review, including the dictionary. Book bans are not slowing down, and schools, cities, and states are struggling to keep up with the onslaught of reviews, restrictions, and bans.
Tired of being reactive to each and every book ban, Representative Ayanna Pressley has introduced the Books Save Lives Act. The legislation would require trained librarians in schools, require public and school liberties to maintain a diverse collection, classify discriminatory book bans as violation of federal civil rights laws, and establish tracking and reporting on book bans on marginalized communities through the Government Accountability Office.
Together, we have built the momentum to fight back against book bans. Now we have to show up strong and united to demand federal legislation to protect and defend our freedom to learn and read.