RESOURCES
Intellectual Freedom
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution
What is Intellectual Freedom? Why is it important?
Why Book Ban Efforts Are Spreading Across the US
GLAAD & NCAC Media Fact Sheet on School Censorship
Judy Blume's Thoughts on Censorship
National Council of Teachers of English
-Statement Regarding Rating or "Red-Flagging" Books
Coalition Statement: The Attack on Books in Schools
Teen Librarians Are Not Pornographers
Banned in the USA: PEN America's Report on The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools
Printables
Current Lafayette Public Library Collection Development Policy.
Toolkits
Get Ready, Stay Ready - A Community Action Toolkit for Parents & Caregivers
A great resource packed with information, slide decks, video presentations, scripts, & other training materials for learning how to fight against book and materials challenges in your community.
Created by grassroots organization Red, Wine, & Blue, you can download this resource full of information like how to organize locally, how to use social media to your advantage, and how to speak at board meetings.
The Kids Right to Read Action Kit for Students and Parents
Developed by the National Coalition Against Censorship, this guide "explores the most common motivations behind book challenges and suggests strategies to counter them."
A survival guide for librarians and library workers packed with information on surviving the current wave of book challenges, defunding crises, and personal attacks. Includes sections on the history of censorship, best practices for school and public libraries, the current legal landscape, programming ideas, community activation strategies, and more!
National Coalition Against Censorship
We promote freedom of thought and inquiry and oppose censorship. When controversy occurs, we encourage and facilitate dialogue between divergent voices and perspectives, including those that have historically been silenced.
PEN America
PEN America’s free expression and education program works to reconcile these tensions by working with schools, colleges, and universities to ensure robust protections for academic freedom and freedom of speech are balanced with advancements in diversity and inclusion, as well efforts to redress legacies of discrimination and inequity. Our team of experts engage in research, advocacy, trainings, public events, and youth programming, and we have developed specialized resources for college administrators, faculty, and students.
American Library Association
The staff of the Office for Intellectual Freedom is available to answer questions or provide assistance to librarians, trustees, educators, and the public about the First Amendment and censorship. Areas of assistance include policy development, minors’ rights, and professional ethics. Inquiries can be directed via email to oif@ala.org or via phone at (312) 280-4226.
Freedom to Read Foundation
The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is a non-profit legal and educational organization affiliated with the American Library Association. FTRF protects and defends the First Amendment to the Constitution and supports the right of libraries to collect - and individuals to access - information.
Penguin Random House Banned Books Resources Hub
At Penguin Random House, we believe in the right to freedom of expression and protecting writers against censorship. Reading is indispensable in having an informed, engaged democracy, and the dramatic rise in efforts to ban books in public schools and libraries—many of them by BIPOC or LGBTQ voices—threatens the advancement of our society and culture.
Unite Against Book Bans
Unite Against Book Bans is a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship.
