The freedom to read is both a fundamental American right and a cornerstone of our democracy. It’s something we must cherish — and protect.
Reading is a gateway to knowledge and a means for people to personally empower themselves. It’s also critical to a functioning democracy, since a well-informed citizenry is the backbone of any democratic system. Sadly, this essential freedom has come under attack in recent years.
We’ve seen an increasingly well-organized effort to censor or challenge books at school and public libraries. We’ve even seen misguided attempts to censor diverse viewpoints right here in San Diego County.
Make no mistake — this is a direct assault on our essential values and freedoms. Intellectual freedom is bedrock to our democracy. Challenging our freedom of speech and our freedom to read what we choose is a slippery slope to authoritarianism and tyranny.
In 2023, the American Library Association reported that book challenges and bans rose 65% year-over-year. Additionally, the ALA found that nearly half of the most challenged titles represented historically marginalized voices, such as those belonging to communities of color or the LGBTQIA+ community.
Although private citizens may target books or titles that they find personally offensive, book challenges have also originated within local legislative bodies, such as city councils and school boards.
For example, earlier this year, a city council in California approved a resolution to form a censorship committee that would need to approve titles that are “appropriate” for library shelves. In other parts of the country, similar measures have criminalized what are normally routine responsibilities for librarians.
Whether it’s a private citizen on the fringe or a municipal government, it’s time that we say enough is enough. No matter where these challenges originated, we must proclaim that restrictions on what people can read have no place in our communities — nor our country.
All people, no matter their background, deserve to know that they hold a place in our communities. Part of that sense of belonging is the ability for anyone to see themselves reflected in the shelves of books at their local library.
Libraries have long been safe havens of community and knowledge. They’ve long been places where anyone can access information or perspectives from diverse viewpoints. But now, many libraries have become a battleground in what seems increasingly like a war on our most essential American values.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Library Foundation SD, along with the San Diego Public Library and a host of partners from across the country, stood up for the right to read last Saturday. Hundreds of readers from across San Diego celebrated the beloved space that libraries hold in our communities, while also making it clear that book bans have no place in them.
During the Freedom to Read Day of Action, San Diego loudly proclaimed that we cherish our intellectual freedom, ability to read diverse perspectives, and the libraries that make access to all voices possible.
If you love books, libraries and the power to choose what you read, I invite you to join us in supporting libraries. As we head toward a divisive election, it’s only going to become more pivotal that we protect our essential right to read.
And, there are so many different ways that you help.
You can speak to elected officials and urge them to support your local libraries and to field policies that protect our intellectual freedoms. You can also vote for candidates who will pledge to do the same.
Likewise, you can support your local libraries. Get involved, sign up for a library card and check out banned or challenged books. Attend library events and connect with like-minded individuals who also cherish the right to read.
If you notice book challenges or book bans in your community, you can report these instances to the American Library Association. Keeping track of book challenges across the U.S. is a crucial part of pushing back against them.
Finally, you can join us in public advocacy for your local library. Show your support on social media, or take action by donating to the Library Foundation SD , which works to advocate for, support, and defend the San Diego Public Library.
We can push back against book bans, but we’ll need to do so together. We must all band together and lend our voices to a choir singing one song: “Book challenges have no place in our democracy.”
Patrick Stewart is the chief executive officer of Library Foundation SD.
