Right to Read Day
Posted in: Homepage Features
The Unite Against Book Bans campaign, launched last year, will celebrate its one-year anniversary on April 24, 2023, coinciding with the American Library Association’s release of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2022. As such, a national day of action to defend and protect the right to read freely, called Right to Read Day, has been proposed.
The Montclair State University community is encouraged to participate by:
- Reading a banned or challenged book
- Attending your local library and school board meetings
- Writing letters to the editor of local newspapers or elected officials
- Spreading the word on social media with the hashtag #RightToReadDay
You Can Take Action
One of the most critical actions you can take to fend off book bans is to attend your local library board, school board, and city council meetings. Even if book bans or collection policies are not on the agenda, many boards and councils allow public comments on issues of concern from any community member.
To prepare for these meetings, it is recommended that people:
- Read a book being challenged.
- Understand why the book is a target for restriction or removal
- Research other instances where the book has been challenged in other communities and the outcomes of those challenges
- Prepare to make a public comment, asking the board to reject censoring the book
Sprague Library Can Help
Sprague Library has a vast collection of books, including many that may have been banned in other communities. Check out a list of banned books from our 2019 Banned Books exhibit, all available for borrowing today.
You can find a more comprehensive list of banned books on the American Library Association website.
Photo by Kevin Handeli.