Our mission as a public library is to make information and knowledge freely available to all. We believe everyone should be able to exercise their freedom to choose what they read. We are united with libraries and communities nationwide in opposing efforts to censor or ban books. We stand in solidarity with our fellow library workers and community members who are being threatened.
—Tony Marx, President of The New York Public Library
Since 1982, libraries across the United States have observed Banned Books Week, a time to highlight titles that have been targeted for removal from schools and libraries.
Since the American Library Association (ALA) started keeping records more than 20 years ago, book bans and challenges reached an all-time high in 2023 and continue to happen at an alarming rate. A recent ALA report shows that the number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries rose by 92% in 2023 compared to the previous year. The majority of the banned or challenged books are for young people and are written by or about people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
The New York Public Library observes Banned Books Week every year, taking the opportunity to elevate and amplify the stories, voices, and titles that censorship attempts to repress. Join us in this effort and show your support for the freedom to read.
Protect the Freedom to Read at NYPL
Stand with The New York Public Library all year long to protect the freedom to read! Discover all the Library has to offer, including our Teen Banned Book Club and National Teen Art Contest, plus programs and events, a free toolkit for you and your community, ways to get involved, and more for all ages.
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Teen Banned Book Club
Learn MoreRead with us! The New York Public Library's Teen Banned Book Club shines a spotlight on young adult titles that have been the subject of bans or challenges. Explore our book club selections for the 2024–25 school year, download free discussion guides, and more.
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National Teen Art Contest
Enter NowDeadline: Fri, Dec 6, 2024
Make your voice heard in the conversation about book bans and censorship for a chance to win $500, get published in Teen Voices magazine, and see your work exhibited in one of the Library's midtown locations! NYPL invites teens across the U.S. to submit original art to our contest on the theme of books, reading, censorship, or intellectual freedom.
Books for All: Download Our Toolkit
NYPL is partnering with the American Library Association to provide opportunities for communities across the country to get involved in protecting the freedom to read!
Download print-ready flyers, book discussion guides, and other promotional materials to help you and your community get involved.
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New Online Exhibition! ‘Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read’
Learn MoreOur major new online exhibition, published to coincide with Banned Books Week 2024, examines the long history of battles over censorship, intellectual freedom, and the freedom to read. Drawing on materials from the Library's collections, Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read explores censorship and its interactions with literature and film, sexual and reproductive freedom, white supremacy, and war, colonialism, and protest.
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New Curriculum Guide for Educators: Reading Dangerously
Learn MoreAlongside NYPL's permanent online exhibition Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read, the Library’s Center for Educators & Schools has published an all-new curriculum guide that offers educators the case studies and resources they need, grounded in NYPL’s collections, to introduce this vital subject to their students in grades 6–12.
Free Events at NYPL
Join the Library for author talks, book discussion groups, and more as we unite against book bans.
#FreedomToRead: Make Your Voice Heard
Share your support for the right to read freely on social media and email.
More Ways to Take Action
Looking for more information about book bans, censorship, and how you can support the freedom to read? We’ve got you covered.
Banned Books Reading List
Check out this list of books for all ages, selected by our expert librarians, that have been banned or challenged in schools and libraries across the country. From classic titles like The Color Purple and Slaughterhouse-Five to more recent targets like Hurricane Child, discover voices and perspectives censorship threatens to erase.
Explore 'Teen Voices': Freedom to Read Edition
The winners of last year’s Freedom to Read writing contest were published in a special edition of NYPL’s Teen Voices Magazine. Read it online now, and learn more about Teen Voices at the Library.
Are you affiliated with a public or school library? Request your own print copies.
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Apply NowJoin your library community! New Yorkers can get free access to millions of books, e-books, digital resources, and more, all with a New York Public Library card.
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Learn MoreWith the NYPL app, you can access everything the Library has to offer from home or while you’re on the go.
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Find Your Next Great Read
Learn MoreWith millions of books to choose from, our expert librarians have you covered—from our Staff Picks Book Finder to personalized recommendations.
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Learn MoreThe New York Public Library depends on donors like you to support our essential services. Make a membership gift now and enjoy benefits all year long.
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Did You Know?
Learn MoreThere are no more late fines at the Library—and all old fines have been removed—so you can borrow books and more from any branch with no worries!
