Stop Book Bans in NY

A legion of far-right activists is set on purging school libraries of books they don’t like. A huge percentage of the books they have in their sights are about race or racism, feature people of color, or include LGBTQ characters.

This is a nationwide movement, and several New York school districts are facing calls to ban books.

TAKE THE PLEDGE: sign our petition to help make sure New York school districts know that unwarranted calls to ban books have no place in our state.

The NYCLU has created a model policy for what districts should do when a book is “challenged” or flagged by someone for possible removal. The policy:

1. Provides clear, transparent guidelines for how library books should be selected and how those books can be challenged.
2. Includes educators, parents, and students in all reviews of book challenges and honors the professional judgment of librarians.
3. Creates a clear timeline for the review process.
4. Forbids removal of materials before the review process is complete.

School districts across the country, including in New York, are under pressure to ban important books. District leaders need to know that there are New Yorkers out there who don’t support these frivolous censorship demands.