Banned Books Week Events
Tune in throughout Banned Books Week for a series of (mostly) free online events featuring authors, librarians, and activists working to fight censorship! Check out some highlights below.
Behind the Bans: How Censorship Impacts Our Communities
Presented by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
September 23, 2024 • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CDT
Book bans have reached historic and unprecedented highs in the last three years. Libraries and schools have been inundated by attempts to remove books and cancel programs, especially those by or about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals. Authors Eliot Schrefer (Queer Ducks (and Other Animals), The Darkness Outside Us), Patricia McCormick (Sold), and Christina Soontornvat (The Squad (The Tryout #2)) will be joined by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Joyce McIntosh and Jack Phoenix (Cayahoga Falls Library) for a discussion about the impact of censorship on libraries, readers, and authors; why it’s so essential to protect the stories that are being targeted by censors; and how we can stand up for the right to read.
Banned Books 101: What Library Boards & Trustees Need to Know
Presented by United for Libraries and the Freedom to Read Foundation
September 24, 2024 • 12:00 PM CT
Whether or not their community has experienced book bans, library Trustees/Board Members have a responsibility to protect access to books, programs, and resources in their libraries. Learn what board members need to know about the current state of book bans in the U.S., and how to advocate for the freedom to read and activate local support networks. Find out about United for Libraries and ALA resources, including Unite Against Book Bans, Advocacy Academy, and “Reader. Voter. Ready.” Presenters: Joyce McIntosh, Assistant Program Director, Freedom to Read Foundation and Amelia Aldred, Deputy Director, State & Local Advocacy, ALA’s Public Policy & Advocacy Office
Honorary Chair Program
Presented by the Banned Books Week Coalition
September 24, 2024 • 1:00 p.m. CDT
Join Honorary Chair Ava DuVernay and Youth Chair Julia Garnett for a powerful Banned Books Week conversation, airing on the American Library Association's YouTube channel. DuVernay, the visionary director behind Selma and 13th, is an advocate for education and free expression. Two of her films have been inspired by frequently challenged books: A Wrinkle in Time, based on the book by Madeleine L’Engle, and Origin, which centers on the life of Isabel Wilkerson, the author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Garnett, a youth advocate recognized by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, is a leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship's Student Advocates for Speech program, educating other students about advocacy.
Celebrating the Freedom To Read: Book Banning, Censorship, and Democracy
Presented by AASL
September 24, 2024 • 6:00 PM CT
Join Antioch University as it works for democracy and the American Association of School Librarians as they bring together a panel of experts for an evening of conversation around democracy, censorship, libraries, and books. Speakers include Miranda Doyle, winner of the Intellectual Freedom Award in Oregon; Dr. Sheri Massey, school librarian and 2023 Maryland School Librarian of the Year; and Allison Jennings-Roche, librarian and expert on censorship and democracy. The panel will be moderated by Becky Calzada, AASL president.
Banned Books Week: Queer Joy in Comics
Presented by the ALA Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table
September 24, 2024 • 6:00 PM CT
In recent years, queer books and comics alike are experiencing record numbers of challenges throughout the United States. As a result, the current narrative surrounding queer comics is one of struggle, pain, and erasure. Rather than focusing solely on the challenges, join GNCRT President Shira Pilarski and a panel of library workers who will discuss the celebration of queer joy in comics, graphic novels, manga, and other types of sequential art.
Banned Books Week and Beyond: Actionable Tools for Libraries, Booksellers, and Authors
Presented by Unite against Book Bans
September 25, 2024 • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CDT
Join Unite Against Book Bans and speakers from the American Booksellers Association, Brooklyn Public Library, and ALA to learn how you can organize and take action in your community this fall. Speakers will provide strategies for closing out Banned Books Week by celebrating Let Freedom Read Day on Saturday, September 28, then hosting a successful event on the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action on Saturday, October 19. Working together, the Unite Against Book Bans community will demonstrate during this election season that the freedom to read is a nonpartisan American value, that libraries are for EVERYONE, and that civic participation is the most important way to defeat censorship.
Selected Shorts: Banned Books with Host Judy Blume
Sponsored by Unite Against Book Bans
September 25, 2024 • 7:00 p.m. EDT
Celebrate the power of literature with Judy Blume as she takes the stage for an evening of funny and gripping tales that push boundaries. Join us as incredible actors bring to life compelling and thought-provoking stories on frequently censored topics, and by authors whose books have been the target of bans. This evening features stories by Roxane Gay, Shirley Jackson, Xu Mason, Walter Dean Myers, and David Sedaris, with performances by actors Jelani Alladin (Fellow Travelers), Troy Iwata (The Daily Show), Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock), Amy Ryan (Only Murders in the Building), and more!
In person and livestream options available. Use the code “ALA” for a discount on the livestream.
Beating Book Bans: Perspectives on Fighting Censorship
Presented by Unite Against Book Bans
September 26, 2024 • 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. CDT
When actor and author Maulik Pancholy's anti-bullying talk at a Pennsylvania school was canceled due to objections to his activism and "lifestyle" as an openly gay man, the community rallied behind him, with students and supporters successfully reversing the decision at a school board meeting.
All around the country, community advocates are uniting on behalf of libraries and censored authors. Maulik, Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Julia Garnett and parent advocate Claire Bennett will share their personal stories of censorship and advocacy with library director and ALA Policy Corps member Jennie Pu. From Maulik’s canceled school visit, to Julia’s work for student representation, to Claire's experience with student-led, mentor/parent-supported advocacy, this event will explore how different voices can come together to combat censorship.
Banned Books Week: Censorship in Manga and Anime, Historical and Current
Presented by the ALA Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table
September 26, 2024 • 6:00 PM CT
Join Teen Librarian Brandon Digwood and a panel of library workers for a discussion of the ways in which television and comic books originating from Japan were altered from the original way in which they were presented. The focus will be on the historical ways manga and anime were censored when they became popular media in the 1990s and early 2000s, concluding with a look on how censorship continues to take place in these formats today.
CANCELED: One World Presents FREE YOUR MIND
Unite Against Book Bans-supported event
September 26, 2024 • 7:00 p.m. EDT
Free Your Mind is an all-ages evening event of conversation and music, centered on storytelling and free speech, and will feature renowned, bestselling One World authors Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Message, Between the World and Me, The Water Dancer, We Were Eight Years in Power), Nikole Hannah-Jones (The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story), Dr. Ibram X. Kendi (How to be An Antiracist, Stamped from the Beginning), and Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption), as well as Jason Hernandez (author of a forthcoming memoir) and Brea Baker (Rooted). These writers will be joined by Skip Dye, Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Taskforce at Penguin Random House; the event will be hosted by LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter, and will feature members of the Atlanta community who have been impacted by book bans.
Canceled due to Hurricane Helene. From the organizers: Due to the Governor’s state of emergency, our “Free Your Mind” in-person event in Atlanta is canceled to ensure everyone’s safety. Our gathering will now be virtual and everyone can join from the comfort of their own home. For those who had registered, please check your emails for more information! Stay safe and dry everyone.
Leading Change: Youth Fighting Book Bans
Banned Books Week Coalition Youth Honorary Chair Program
September 27, 2024 • 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. CDT
Young people are some of the most impactful frontline advocates in the fight against book bans. In response to books being banned at their local schools and libraries, students are organizing and speaking out for their freedom to read. Join Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Julia Garnett and advocates from Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), Beaufort, South Carolina’s Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization (DAYLO), and the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech program for an inspiring discussion on why these young people decided to take action against book bans and how they are fighting censorship in their communities.
ARRAY’s Liberated Lit: Livestream Discussion with ALA President Cindy Hohl About Books and Censorship
Presented by ARRAY Now
September 28, 2024 • 3:45 p.m. CDT
Join ALA President Cindy Hohl for a lively discussion about books, censorship and creating community with Los Angeles independent bookstore owners, Nikki High of Octavia's Bookshelf and Chris Capizzi of A Good Used Book. Watch in-person at ARRAY Creative Campus or via livestream! Come for the panel and stay for the films! ARRAY is amplifying the call to action set by ALA's Banned Books Week with a triple screening of cinematic adaptations from esteemed literary work: THE OUTSIDERS, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, and MALCOLM X. And don't miss ARRAY's Little Free Library debut!
Let Freedom Read Day
On September 28, 2024, we’re asking everyone to get ready to vote for the freedom to read or to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship and to stand up for the library staff, educators, writers, publishers, and booksellers who make them available!
Show us how you’re taking action on social media by using the hashtags #LetFreedomReadDay and #BannedBooksWeek!
The Banned Wagon Tour
Sponsored by Unite Against Book Bans
September 22 – October 15, 2024 • Various times and locations
SAVE OUR STORIES
The freedom to read is under attack. Across America, book bans are on the rise, threatening to silence the voices of authors and deprive us of the stories that help us understand ourselves and the world around us.
Starting on Banned Books Week, the Banned Wagon—powered by Penguin Random House, Unite Against Book Bans (UABB), First Book, and Little Free Library—is hitting the road for our second Banned Wagon tour, stopping at bookstores and libraries in nine American communities across the Midwest and the South that are being impacted by book banning.
Hop on the Banned Wagon to join the fight against censorship and pick up your free banned book while supplies last! Together, we can ensure that every voice is heard. Together, we can save our stories.
Freedom to Read Day of Action
Sponsored by Unite Against Book Bans
October 19, 2024 • Various times and locations
On Saturday, October 19, communities around the country will come together to host events, rallies, and other convenings that share positive, galvanizing messages about the power of libraries and the essential role they play in the functioning of democracy. The Freedom to Read Community Day of Action will unite readers everywhere in support of the freedom to read as a popular, nonpartisan, fundamental American right that is essential to supporting an informed citizenry. Check out Unite Against Book Bans' free resources to be part of this nationwide advocacy campaign!
