Hi, everyone. I'm sharing this message on behalf of the organizers.
---
At the end of last year, ALA OIF, PEN America, Kelly Jensen, and members of the Texas and Florida Freedom to Read Projects collaborated on a 2025 "Wrapped" article published through Book Riot. Building on that work, we're now planning a deeper look at the last five years to highlight advocacy efforts, lawsuits, contentious meetings, coordinated challenges, and hard-fought wins.
To do this well, we need your stories and insights.
More on the report
The Five Year Report brings together the experience, knowledge, and insights garnered by Freedom to Read advocacy groups working across the United States. The document aims to distill the highs and lows, the wins and challenges, and the opportunities related to book censorship over the course of the 2020s.
The goal of the Five Year Report is to provide a snapshot and a game plan for continuing the efforts to protect Americans' constitutional rights, with a particular focus on the First, Tenth, and Fourteenth Amendments. By reaching out to those on the ground, the Report will elucidate trends, provide case studies, and encourage renewed commitment to protecting the freedom to read. The work in developing the document, as well as the final product, invites community and coalition building, vital in today's sociopolitical landscape.
The anticipated publication date for the Report is October 2026, with input from on-the-ground parties solicited between April and May 2026. This publication date is intentional, both as it builds on the annual Banned Books Week energy and primes readers in the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections. Book Riot will publish and house the Report, but it will also be distributed across all associated organizations.
Instructions
Fill out the form to the best of your ability. Not every question will apply to your situation, so feel free to skip non-required questions. You will be asked for consent to use your quotes in the report in the form and information will otherwise be anonymized. If you have questions or comments, feel free to reach out to Kelly Jensen at Book Riot (kelly@riotnewmedia.com).
Deadline for reporting your information is May 15, 2026.
Thanks for your time and support of this effort!
------------------------------
Betsy Gomez
Assistant Director of Communication and Public Outreach
American Library Association
She/Her/Hers
------------------------------