Book banning is on the rise in America. As a leader in equitable book access and member of the Banned Books Week coalition, the Right to Read Working Group, and Unite Against Book Bans, we are proud to work alongside Little Free Library stewards, publishers, and partners to combat book banning and ensure all voices are heard. Here are a few of our recent actions to push back against book bans and celebrate the freedom to read:
Power of Little Free Library Stewards
With more than 200,000 Little Free Library book-sharing boxes worldwide, there is a legion of stewards who take book access seriously — and many go above and beyond when protecting access to banned and challenged books. In a recent poll, 87% of Little Free Library stewards say they share banned books. Some stewards even held Banned Books Week events in their communities.
Little Free Library Mobile App
In our mobile app, free for download here, Little Free Library stewards can indicate that they share banned books in their libraries. More than 3,600 stewards are using this feature.
Little Free Library Book Ban Map
Find the areas hit hardest by book bans and the nearest Little Free Library book-sharing box locations! We developed a book ban map in collaboration with PEN America and the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom to show book-ban hotspots and discover the Little Free Libraries in those areas.
Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week is one of our favorite times of the year, because it allows us to show our support for books that have been banned or challenged. For Banned Books Week 2025, we are excited to partner with the Banned Books Week Coalition, the American Library Association, PEN America, and multiple publishers to create awareness for this issue and make banned books more easily accessible. See how we celebrate.
Read in Color
Our Read in Color program provides Little Free Library book-sharing boxes and thousands of diverse books to community partners across the country. To date, we have granted more than 250 libraries and 50,000 multicultural and inclusive books. Our recommended reading list includes titles from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors, and many of these books are regularly banned or challenged.
Authors Against Book Bans
Authors Against Book Bans is an organization of book creators fighting for our freedom to read, and this year members are sharing their books in Little Free Libraries. Read their mission statement: “We, a coalition of writers, illustrators, anthology editors and contributors, and other book creators, stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We unequivocally support the availability of diverse voices on our library shelves, in our schools, and in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, and to fight as one to ensure this freedom. Together, we will be fearless.”
Books Unbanned
Books Unbanned sponsored some of our 200k Little Free Libraries. Books Unbanned supports the rights of youth nationwide to read what they like and form their own opinions. The program provides teens and young adults across the country access to e-book collections that cover a wide range of topics. This program is made possible by Brooklyn Public Library, Boston Public Library, LA County Public Library, San Diego Public Library, and The Seattle Public Library. There are Books Unbanned cardholders in every state in the nation, as well as D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico. Learn more at BooksUnbanned.com.
The Banned Wagon
In 2024 and 2023, Penguin Random House road-tripped through the U.S., handing out free copies of banned books to people in affected communities who need and want them most. They also stopped at Little Free Libraries along the way to share banned titles in surprise book drops!
Penguin Random House Banned Books Libraries
In 2024, PRH sponsored ten Little Free Library book-sharing boxes, which were granted to high-need communities across the U.S. through our Impact Library Program. In addition, PRH provided more than 2,000 banned and diverse books for these libraries, including both adult and children’s titles.
Little Free(dom) Library
To commemorate Black History Month in February 2024, Visit Philadelphia launched Little Free(dom) Library, an initiative encouraging visitors and residents to explore Black history and narratives. In partnership with us, Visit Philadelphia’s Little Free(dom) Library activation features 13 Little Free Libraries that will house banned books by Black authors.
Little Free Libraries for Teachers
In 2024, we were thrilled to partner with the National Education Association (NEA) to gift 500 Little Free Library book-sharing boxes filled with banned books to educators at NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Orlando, Florida. “These Little Free Libraries serve as a powerful reminder that literacy and access to books are crucial for fostering strong, vibrant communities in Florida and beyond,” said Princess Moss, Vice President of NEA.
Banned Books at the Capitol
As a Minnesota nonprofit organization, we were delighted in 2023 to learn that Governor Tim Walz wanted to establish a Little Free Library in the state capitol building to share banned books. We attended the launch event and spoke at the press conference announcing the new banned-books library.
The Unbanned Book Club
When they ban books in schools, we un-ban them in the community. We recently teamed up with Venables Bell + Partners to launch The Unbanned Book Club, an initiative providing communities in Duval County, Florida, access to banned and challenged books. New specially branded Little Free Libraries were placed locally, filled with banned books provided by HarperCollins and Penguin Random House, and stewarded by Florida nonprofit 904WARD. This project has earned multiple awards, including an Anthem Award and a Shorty Award.
LFL in the News
Media outlets including NPR have featured Little Free Library as an expert source on how readers are using our network to get around book bans in stories like Plot twist: Activists skirt book bans with guerrilla giveaways and pop-up libraries. Sadly we have also been in the spotlight when individuals visit Little Free Libraries to remove books they find unacceptable, such as in this piece from Newsweek. But we are heartened when we read stories of Little Free Library stewards sharing banned books in their libraries.
Reading is a right. Let’s work together to protect the freedom to read! Learn how you can get involved here.