Here’s the sad reality: Challenges to books are at an all time high. Last year alone, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) documented 4,240 different books under attack.
When many hear “book bans,” they think only books in schools and school libraries are being challenged, but the number of challenges at public libraries increased in 2023 by 92%. Statistics provided by We Are Stronger Than Censorship give a hint that 2024 might be even worse: from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 there were a whopping 10,000 challenges to books.
Many, if not most, of the books being challenged deal with the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals. The staggering statistics can make one feel hopeless about the future of not only literature, but equity and democracy.
We Are Stronger Than Censorship is fighting back with a new program. For every book banned or challenged between September 1 and September 30, 2024, the organization will buy two or more books from independent publishers and donate them, “turning negativity and fear into positivity and love… in the form of books!”
I had the opportunity to ask co-founders Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson more about the program.
Rachel León
This is such a cool initiative! Can you share how the idea came about?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
As an author whose books were getting banned and challenged (particularly my nonfiction for readers ages 11 and up No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves From Lerner) I (Lee) met Tasslyn in a PEN America zoom she hosted to support authors. We started talking in March 2024 about how everything felt like our side was playing defense, and what would going on offense look like? It took us about three months to come up with the idea of counting bans and challenges in September 2024 and raising the money to buy two books (or more) for every one ban or challenge. That way it could serve to put the brakes on the runaway train of book banning.
Rachel León
Do you mind sharing the logistics? How are you identifying and keeping track of the books under attack this month?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
Tasslyn tracks book bans as part of the work she does with EveryLibrary Institute and PEN America. She has a spreadsheet of over 13,000 bans over the last three years and is unfortunately constantly having to update it. If someone knows of a book challenge or ban in your community, they should notify ALA, PEN America, NCAC, and bookbanschallenges@gmail.com (that last one is Tasslyn.)
Rachel León
Last June, Illinois became the first state to outlaw book bans, something we were happy to see here at Chicago Review of Books. It felt like a win, but exploring the We Are Stronger Than Censorship website, I realized how chilling the reality is. This question might be too obvious, but I’d love to hear you explain why this issue matters. Why should people care about book bans?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
Yay, Illinois! (We love the spirit of the law, though we still expect to see book bans and challenges coming in from Illinois, as the enforcement withholds state funds from places that ban books but the bans can still occur.)
Why should people care? On an emotional level, when a book about YOUR identity is banned, it’s like being told there’s something wrong with you. That you are somehow inappropriate for others to even know about. That’s hugely damaging.
On a constitutional level, this is a manipulation of free speech – somehow conflating a parent’s right to help guide their own child’s reading with the ability to prevent other people’s children from having access to books, and saying it’s a free speech right to block other people’s speech and knowledge. That’s messed up.
Like Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop said in her famous article, we need books to be windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors – to see others, to see ourselves, and to have empathy for those who on the surface may seem different from us but aren’t that different at all.
On a socio-economic level, book banning is unjust in that it targets the public availability of books – they’re targeting books in public school libraries and classrooms and books in public libraries. Meaning that families who cannot afford to buy books are disenfranchised even more – because it limits what they can read, who they can see, and what those kiddos can learn and dream and become.
Rachel León
What’s the content of the books being challenged? What exactly are people wanting to suppress?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
Queerness. Blackness. Any and all identities, stories, and histories that are not celebrations of white supremacy and patriarchy.
As word people, Tasslyn and I are both particularly irked by the manipulation of language where book banners are saying any portrayal of Queer people existing in the world is “pornography.” If you look at Project 2025, they’re talking about criminalizing librarians, teachers, and authors for just including the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, and other diverse characters, stories, and histories.
Rachel León
You’re answering these questions right at the start of September, so it may be too soon to ask, but has the month already begun with any book challenges?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
It’s three days into September when we’re answering these questions, and we already have four cases of multiple books being banned in multiple states (two in Texas, one in New York, and one in Florida, for at least 20 books total challenged.) And those are just the ones we’ve already heard about…
Rachel León
How can readers get involved and support this important program?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
We’re taking donations – every $16 buys two books to offset one book ban/challenge.
There’s even some cool swag: get a T-shirt with “Strong Like a Reader” on it and that also buys two books to offset one book ban/challenge.
And there’s LOTS more readers of this article can do – please check out the list at our post BE STRONG: Things to Do About Book Banning:
Rachel León
Anything else you want to add?
Lee Wind and Tasslyn Magnusson
When someone bans a book based on their personal prejudices, there’s a sense of powerlessness that can come up for those of us fighting to preserve the freedom to read.
But we don’t have to just play defense. We can rise up and together, and go on offense.
Together, we are stronger than censorship.
Together, we can shut book banning down.
So everyone can see themselves (and others) in the books they read.
