Florida Freedom to Read Project

NATIONAL LEGISLATION Freedom to Read FIGHT BOOK BANS ACT - H.R.7691 • Provides federal grants to help districts protect students' access to educational materials RIGHT TO READ ACT - H.R.6440 / S.3365 • Invests in literacy & school libraries • Promotes staffing certified school librarians • Expands access to diverse, engaging books • Defends First Amendment rights in school libraries

With 21 States’ Attorneys General signing onto Florida’s “libraries are government speech” argument, it’s more important than ever to pass legislation nationally in support of the Freedom to Read.

Here are two bills to write your Congressperson and Senator about:

cover of turning the page: an advocate's guide to the freedom to read

Have you downloaded our free digital guide yet?

Turning the Page: An Advocate’s Guide to the Freedom to Read offers tools, strategies, and resources to help defend books and resist censorship.

www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

#FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom

Florida censors ‘racism’ references out of college textbook | Column A gutting of a collegiate sociology textbook that discusses racism and gender inequality.

"When the erasure enthusiasts were done, they had deleted more than 400 pages from a textbook that originally had 667, a slew of examples about how women have experienced gender discrimination and almost all references to racism."

www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2...

87% of educators state that boom bans are rarely or never justified. According to 2023 First Book report

Teachers and librarians help students read widely, think critically, and engage with the world. Let’s trust the professionals who work with students every day.

The Greenville Eight and Library Discrimination, Then and Now: Book Censorship News, March 6, 2026 The Greenville Eight protested library discrimination in 1960. Their fight and others like them are a legacy that continues to play out now.

The Greenville Eight and Library Discrimination, Then and Now: Book Censorship News, March 6, 2026

bookriot.com/the-greenvil...

How to Write a Press Release (and When to Use One) Guide for Freedom to Read advocates explaining when press releases are appropriate, how to structure them clearly and strategically, and how they create transparency, credibility, and public awareness...

A well-written press release can help communities share accurate information, invite media coverage, and ensure decisions about school libraries happen in the open, not behind closed doors.

The how's and when's are here:

www.freedomtoreadproject.org/how_to_write...

Wyoming lawmakers' proposal to ban 'explicit' books from libraries falters as clock runs out The Legislature was advancing a bill that backers saw as a common sense way to keep "sexually explicit" books out of kids hands. Critics saw it as a book ban, and Teton County librarians have lined up...

THE HORRIFIC BOOK BANNING BILL IN WYOMING WAS KILLED.

IT'S DEAD!!!!!!

If your knee-jerk right now is "yeah but so many other ones," cool. *Not right here or right now.*

Celebrating advocacy and hard work matters.

www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/state/w...

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THE NOWHERE GIRLS by Amy Reed meets teens where they are and challenges them to think bigger. It explores friendship, consent, sexism, and the courage to speak up. Books like this spark important conversations about respect and accountability. Silencing them limits the dialogue teens need.

Want the freedom to read to thrive? Invest in professionals

If we care about the freedom to read, we have to invest in the pros who make it possible. Teachers & librarians are trained experts, not random shelf-stockers. Pay competitive wages, respect their judgment, and ensure every school library has a certified media specialist. #InvestInProfessionals

Four More Books Banned from All Utah Public Schools; 27 Now Banned Statewide Utah banned four more books from all public schools this week, bringing the number of state-sanctioned book bans to 27.

Yesterday, the state of Utah banned four more books, bringing the number of state-sanctioned book bans to 27. These have to be removed from every public library.

bookriot.com/utah-bans-fo...

Graphic with watercolor book STOP H.R. 7661 Our public libraries are funded by us. Our ideas belong there too. The people behind this bill believe our libraries are the government's speech. 21 Attorneys General have argued that we, the People, do not have the First Amendment right to share and receive ideas in our public libraries free of viewpoint-based censorship. We cannot accept that.

STOP H.R. 7661

Floridians already know what a vague and punitive censorship bill like this one will mean for our libraries, students, and communities.

A national bill like this accepts that the First Amendment doesn’t apply to our publicly-funded libraries.

Do you accept that?

We don’t.

Potter Stewart quote: Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.

Removing books because they challenge us sends a message that ideas are something to fear.

A confident society trusts people to read, think, and decide for themselves.

The freedom to read is about open inquiry, not agreement.

Choose confidence over fear.

#FreedomToRead #BooksNotBans

Since Alaska is one of 21 states with an AG that has endorsed Florida’s “libraries are government speech” argument, this bill (imperfect as it is) is very important.

New Objection This Week: Bronxwood- Booth, Coe Grades 9-12, Parent Permission: Monday's Not Coming - Jackson, Tiffany D. Moxie - Mathieu, Jennifer Shiver - Stiefvater, Maggie Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Albertalli, Becky Someone I Used to Know - Blount, Patty Speak - Anderson, Laurie Halse Removed: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Angelou, Maya I'll Give You The Sun - Nelson, Jandy Lady Midnight - Clare, Cassandra Little & Lion - Colbert, Brandy Looking for Alaska - Green, John Loveless - Oseman, Alice Native Son - Wright, Richard Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe - Norton, Preston Perfect Chemistry - Elkeles, Simone Ramona Blue - Murphy, Julie Ready Player One - Cline, Ernest Relish: My Life in the Kitchen - Knisley, Lucy Shout - Anderson, Laurie Halse Slaughterhouse-Five: The Graphic Novel - Vonnegut Jr., Kurt

While CDF is pushing legal action against Polk, they continue to grossly impact what’s on the shelf in Nassau.

1 - new objection
6 - restricted to grades 9-12 w/ additional parent permission
14 - permanently removed

Our state tracking updated weekly: www.fftrp.org/florida_cens...

It is as bad as it sounds, and freedom to read folks have been anticipating this now for years.

Make your phone calls. Send your emails.

After the Records Arrive: Turning Public Information into Power Public records replace rumor with evidence; organize, analyze, and share them strategically to build transparency, accountability, and policy reform.

Curious how public records can be used to strengthen transparency, hold decision-makers accountable, and push for real policy change? Learn what to do once you receive records and how to make an impact.

www.freedomtoreadproject.org/after_the_re...

Florida is now claiming school libraries are “government speech.” A challenge to a monstrously regressive Florida state law that makes it easier for books to be pulled from school libraries is making its way through a federal circuit court in Atlanta. The appeal …

The District Court Judge found in favor of the plaintiffs and upheld First Amendment rights in the library.

The state wasted no time appealing to the 11th Circuit arguing that our taxpayer funded libraries are their speech, not the People’s (and 21 other states agree).

lithub.com/florida-is-n...

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Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel explores loneliness, anxiety, grief, and the need to belong.

It gives teens language for hard feelings and opens space for empathy and conversation.

Banning stories about mental health doesn’t protect kids, it isolates them.

#FreedomToRead #BooksNotBans #LetKidsRead

Texas to fix 4,200 errors in Bible-infused Bluebonnet curriculum Taxpayers will bear the cost of fixing errors in learning materials published by the Texas Education Agency. The curriculum has drawn attention for its references to Christianity and the Bible.

“Taxpayers will bear the cost of fixing errors in learning materials published by the Texas Education Agency.”

Pay attention, Florida. The FLDOE asked legislators for the ability to produce and sell curriculum for K-12 this year.

www.texastribune.org/2026/02/25/t...

In Florida, 67% of fourth graders tested “below proficient” in 2024 (up 6 points from 2022’s 61%).

Coincidentally, FL passed its first of three revisions to school library statute in 2022, allowing anyone to object to materials and requiring oversight of teachers’ voluntary classroom libraries.

When emotions run high around books, it’s tempting to pull a title “just in case.” But constitutional rights don’t bend to pressure.

We need clear policies, transparent processes, defined criteria, and appeals, not panic or politics.

Due process protects students and democracy.

FIRE warns HB 1119 will increase Florida school book banning 'Our focus right now is on making legislators aware of the bill’s constitutional problems.'

“The FLDOE’s own report shows that during the last school year, literary classics and widely acclaimed modern works…were removed even from libraries serving students in grades 9-12. If enacted, HB 1119 will only accelerate this trend and further narrow the range of ideas on school library shelves.”

fewer than 10% of students are restricted in school libraries by their parents

When parents can set reading limits for their own child, fewer than 10% choose to restrict access.

Most families trust guidance and conversation, not bans.

You can guide your child without deciding for mine.

Protect choice. Trust librarians. Keep libraries open.

#FreedomToRead #BooksNotBans

Who should have the final say in what kids read? | Opinion Government bans impose one-size-fits-all rules that ignore the diverse needs and maturity levels of Florida students.

“Removing professionally selected materials doesn’t protect children — it undermines educators and takes away options from every family.”

A blue graphic showing the state of Florida, with the text "Let's talk about 'government speech'" and the AABB logo.

A thread about on ongoing suit in Florida that could have massive free speech & censorship implications. Get informed. Tell your friends.

The Disappearance of Young Adult Books and Services in Public Libraries: Book Censorship News, February 20, 2026 Teen collections in public libraries are disappearing. So, too, are professionals dedicated to serving this demographic.

The parallel disappearance of YA books from public libraries due to book bans and the disappearance of YA expertise in public libraries due to budget cuts, deemphasis in serving teens.

bookriot.com/the-disappea...

Florida legislature considers bill that would place broad restrictions on school library materials FIRE opposes HB 1119 because bill’s broad restrictions on school library materials would likely lead to arbitrary book removals and potential First Amendment violations.

“HB 1119 would compound the First Amendment problems of a statute that a federal court has already declared unconstitutional”

Read the full letter from @thefireorg.bsky.social to FL Senators on the Rules Committee here:

www.fire.org/cases/florid...

The most marginalized population are young people, and they're being pushed further and further out of public spaces. That's because they're not seen as people, but they are certainly convenient props for the "culture war."

“This restricts the professional judgement of librarians in terms of what to include in a book collection,” Fralinger said. [It also affects] university students by potentially restricting their access to literature or information when attending K-12 schools and arriving in college less prepared.”

The Founders, Libraries, and the Danger of Calling Knowledge “Government Speech” Founders championed libraries and free exchange; calling libraries “government speech” invites political censorship, undermines democracy, and silences diverse community voices.

We just celebrated Presidents’ Day, a good time to remember the Founders believed democracy depends on access to ideas, not government control of them.

Our newest piece explores why calling libraries “government speech” threatens the freedom to read.
www.freedomtoreadproject.org/the_founders...