Writing to your representatives is one of the most effective ways to push back against censorship and protect the right to read. Whether your school or local library is facing book bans or not, every message counts. Take a few minutes to look up your state and federal representatives, use our letter template (or write your own!), and send a clear, firm message in support of intellectual freedom. Set a reminder to follow up regularly, and if you’re ready, make a phone call—your voice matters, and your advocacy makes a difference.
EveryLibrary, a nationwide library advocacy group, also has a convenient form that you can use to write your legislators. Enter your information and it will automatically send your letter to your representatives.
Letter to Legislators Template
The following template is from BookRiot.
[Date]
Dear [Name of Legislator],
First Amendment Rights are under attack across the country. With ever-rising numbers of book bans, more and more students are losing out on the right to access information in their very own school and public libraries. PEN America reported in July 2022 that over 4 million students lost access to books in their schools; that number has only increased substantially, thanks to coordinated efforts to ban books happening both on the local level and national level. Entire states are putting effort to criminalize librarians and educators for having books on shelves.
Only 8% of Americans believe book bans are good. In making decisions for upcoming elections, about 75% of Americans will be bringing the issue of book bans and the freedom to read with them to the polls. And when given the opportunity to opt their students out of books, only 1% of parents elect to do so. The costs of administering a program of opt-outs is costing education millions of dollars in paperwork for something that almost no parent wants and demands to continue these programs will continue to drain education budgets.
Tinker vs. Des Moines in 1968 cemented the rights of students in education; they do not lose their rights simply by being in an educational system. Further, Pico vs. Island Trees ruled in 1982 that public schools cannot remove books from schools because it is a First Amendment violation of students’ rights. Right now, the fight about books in schools is focused on “parental rights,” purposefully ignoring the rights students have to a well-rounded education that teaches them not what to think, but how to think. That is what including books by and about people of color and those from marginalized genders and sexualities does. Not only are young people given windows and mirrors into our globe and the people inhabiting it, but they’re given the chance to talk about tough, challenging topics that encourage them to dive deeper, to do research, to evaluate the sources of their information, and to ultimately become capable and engaged citizens.
The parents upset about books and lessons could solve the issue by speaking directly to their students’ teachers and librarians. They already offer alternate assignments.
Right now, young people’s rights to books, to classroom lessons, and to their own libraries are being destroyed. Right-wing politicians and dark money have created a system wherein more time and effort is being used to placate a small but vocal subset of parents, rather than to ensure students are able to get the education they need to navigate our world. Library workers and educators are being maligned as “groomers” and “indoctrinators” for merely giving students access to information, to books, and to lessons that will help them grow, develop, and think for themselves. These same librarians and educators are removing books from shelves or not buying them at all out of fear for their lives.
[Feel free to address specific examples from your state or community here, with links to stories covered in the media].
As someone with the power to stand up for student rights, for public education, please put this at the forefront of your work. It is happening in our backyard, and it is chipping away at our public institutions. Ensure that books are allowed to remain on shelves by ensuring that First Amendment Rights remain the purview of all and not just those with the most money, most connections, and most to gain from destroying the codified rights of young people.
Please advocate for the rights of all. It’s your job, and we need more people to not just stand up for, but actively reaffirm and uphold, the rights people have to borrow, read, and talk about books, literature, and factual information.
Without good education, without good leadership and access provided to you by libraries and teachers, you would not have made it to where you are. Now it’s time for you to do the same for other young people who want to change the world for good.
Sincerely,
[Your name and address]