Brooklyn Public Library joins those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. Inspired by the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement, BPL's Books Unbanned initiative is a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves.
BPL is proud to celebrate the following libraries have joined Books Unbanned as crucial partners in defending and expanding the freedom to read.
The American Library Association (ALA) documented efforts to censor 4,240 unique book titles in schools and libraries in 2023, a 65% increase from 2022 and the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. ALA's data shows that censorship attempts are increasingly moving to public libraries. Most targeted books are for a teen audience and are by or about BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ persons.
Across the country, teens continue to face rising attempts at book bans, censorship, and political challenges in their local school and public libraries.
Here are just some of the ways young adults can get support from BPL:
Are you an adult who cares about teens' freedom to read? Donate today to help BPL provide teens nationwide with free and open access to our wide-ranging digital collections.