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 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+.

As the largest public library system in the country, The New York Public Library stands united with the American Library Association and libraries across the country against book bans. We believe in the freedom to read, and to that end we will continue to elevate, amplify, and celebrate the stories, voices, and titles that censorship tries to suppress.

Join Us for the #FreedomToRead Day of Action

Sat, Oct 19 | 12–2 PM | Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Join New York City libraries and our partners around the country on Saturday, October 19, for a national Day of Action to stand against book bans.

Attend

  • Teen Banned Book Club

    Read 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. Each book club pick is accompanied by a discussion guide featuring suggested questions and activities, and culminates in an online author talk. Explore our book club selections for the school year 2024–25 and find out how to start reading our first title, Flamer by Mike Curato.

    Learn More

  • National Teen Art Contest

    Deadline: 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.

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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.

Explore

Free Events at NYPL

Join the Library for author talks, book discussion groups, and more as we unite against book bans.

Explore the Calendar

  • New Online Exhibition! ‘Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read’

    Our 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.

    From September 21 through November 24, 2024, highlights from the online exhibition will be on display in the McGraw Rotunda on the third floor of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

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  • New Curriculum Guide for Educators: Reading Dangerously

    Alongside 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.

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#FreedomToRead: Make Your Voice Heard

Share your support for the right to read freely on social media and email.

White text on a blue background reads: #FreedomToRead.

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.

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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. 

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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. 

Freedom to Read issue of Teen Voices Magazine displayed on a muted teal green background.

Donate & Support the Freedom to Read

Every day, millions of New Yorkers enjoy free and open access to resources from the Library because of support from our generous donors. Make a donation today to keep everything the Library has to offer—including access to books, storytimes for babies, after school support for kids and teens, and language classes—free for all.

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