NEW YORK (AP) — The American Library Association, the American Federation of Teachers and more than a dozen other organizations have formed a coalition to fight a nationwide wave of book bans and challenges.
Unite Against Book Ban also includes publishers Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, the Authors Guild, and the National Coalition Against Censorship. Resources will include helping community members draft petitions, creating questionnaires for political candidates, and designing graphics for social media.
watch: Nationwide attempt to ban books challenges freedom of expression
“This is a dangerous time for readers and public servants who provide access to reading material. Readers, especially students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs,” Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, said in a statement Tuesday. . “It is time that policy makers understand the gravity of this issue.”
The Library Association reported last month that it tracked nearly 1,600 attempts to ban the books in 2021, the most since it began recording challenges more than 20 years ago.
“Our allies and supporters are instrumental in moving the needle to ultimately end the book ban,” Caldwell-Stone said in a statement. “As the campaign develops, our growing network of supporters will work to circumvent those restrictions, ensure access to information for all, and advocate for the important work of librarians and librarians.”
