National Teen Writing Contest: Freedom to Read

Here are the facts: The American Library Association (ALA) reported that last year, the United States saw the highest number of attempted book bans since the ALA started keeping records more than 20 years ago. Preliminary ALA data for 2023 shows we are again on track for a record number of censorship attempts, including a higher number of challenges to public libraries. The majority of the banned or challenged books are for young people and feature LGBTQ+ voices and people of color.

At The New York Public Library, we believe in the importance of representing all voices, especially those who have been historically underrepresented. We stand with the American Library Association, who have this year reissued and reaffirmed their landmark "Freedom to Read" Statement, first published in response to rising censorship efforts during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. The words of the statement are as powerful as ever today: "We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend." (Read the statement in full.)