The start of the below thread was deleted because we made an error. The judge sided with the District that they could viewpoint censor as they saw fit, but did not make an official ruling in support of their argument that they could do it because our libraries are “government speech.”

Proud to work on this with some great folks fighting for the freedom to read. Of note - SO MANY ALLIES. @heykellyjensen.bsky.social @flfreedomread.bsky.social and @txfreedomread.bsky.social!!!! pen.org/report/the-n...

The NYT article correctly points out that the judge dances around a decision on “government speech” while siding with the rest of the district’s argument that it can viewpoint restrict as it chooses because patrons do not have 1A rights in our libraries. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/b...

The NYT article correctly points out that the judge dances around a decision on “government speech” while siding with the rest of the district’s argument that it can viewpoint restrict as it chooses because patrons do not have 1A rights in our libraries. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/b...

Banned Books Week is next week, and I highly encourage you to take some kind of action against government censorship of libraries now before your freedom to read is gone. @heykellyjensen.bsky.social is an incredible resource I highly recommend.

This is a very bad ruling for all of us who value the First Amendment.

Hi. I know there’s a lot of crap going on but book bans are still happening. Get angry.

The only one out of the top 10 identified by PEN America not on the FBOE’s list of 55 is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. That said, over the last four years, we have seen that title challenged in over 25 of Florida’s 67 districts.

PEN America has released their latest report on the state of school book bans in 2024-2025. They've found nearly 23,000 book bans since 2021, and there were 6,870 in 2024-2025. This report is crucial reading for understanding the state of book censorship right now. bookriot.com/pen-america-...

Another library system in Florida is ending their Interlibrary Loan program today, due to not getting money for it from IMLS cuts. It's Alachua County. www.gainesville.com/story/news/2...

Leander Independent School District (TX) administrators told educators to pull 40 books from their shelves, including TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and LES MISERABLES. They got these titles from using AI. bookriot.com/leander-sb-13/

Here’s a look at one of the action-packed pages from “Turning the Page: An Advocate’s Guide to the Freedom to Read!” This is only one of over 100 pages of guidance, info, and activities to jumpstart your advocacy journey. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

For young readers, books such as Judy Blume’s “Forever” are a chance to see their own desires and anxieties reflected back at them. In the Wonder Reader, @isabelfattal.bsky.social explores the singular power of the art we discover as teens:

Transparency and Accountability? This district pulled over 200 titles from library shelves in June after Florida’s 6/4/25 SBOE Meeting. There hasn’t been a single formal objection in this district since FLCA tried in the 21/22 SY, but they still responded to state pressures to remove books.

Mychal being named the new host of Reading Rainbow is the best news and it's the best news that we all deserve. bookriot.com/new-host-of-...

Censorship in Florida’s schools has made headlines for more than four years now, but we also have had attacks in our public libraries. The same people pushing to ban books in our schools have landed seats on our public library boards. Have you considered volunteering to sit on your local Board?

Now is the time for authors with privilege to spend it - use it. And readers with privilege. Kids need and have a right to books that reflect the world that exists. That show them. That's what we're losing in the banning crisis.

$14 million dollars allocated to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was pushed through to the America 250 team to fund "Freedom Trucks"–propaganda telling a whitewashed version of history. What's happening at IMLS is beyond budgetary concerns. bookriot.com/imls-freedom...

The state published a list without the 55 titles named for Hillsborough County - the titles we all watched the SBOE pressure Superintendent Ayres to remove on June 4 - and pretended this is them being “transparent” and “accountable” to FL’s public school parents. www.tampabay.com/news/educati...

The FLDOE is reporting 444 total removals for the 24/25 SY. The top 5 accounted for 88% of the list with: 281 - Clay 53 - Polk 22 - Escambia 17 - Orange 17 - Santa Rosa 11 other districts reported 10 or fewer removals. Leaving 57 districts reporting 0 removals following objections.

Clarifying here - we have records that show Orange identified their removals in response to a state directive. Santa Rosa may have reported something similar, but we do not have a copy of their report yet. Polk reported many of the 55 titles, but did not point to a state directive as cause.

The state has dropped its 24/25 removal report. Please note: It’s an undercount since they only report removals after formal objections. Clay continues to lead the state in the number of reported removals at the direction of one person. www.fldoe.org/file/5574/24...

The Escambia Board is arguing that our libraries are “government speech” that can be restricted as elected officials choose. Also, they don’t believe they should be deposed to explain those decisions to the public and the court. www.wuwf.org/text/local-n...

You don’t get to a place where the FCC Chair goes on a podcast to threaten private companies and individuals over speech unless it has been tested on a smaller stage. Yes, Florida. No, we didn’t (and couldn’t) respond by leaving, but more of us should have noticed and spoken out.

Need help with freedom to read advocacy? Get the free guide from @freedomreadproject.bsky.social that covers everything you need to know to get started in your area. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

While it’s sad that people have come to expect censorship in states like Florida, it’s also worrying that some people feel so confident that it could never happen in their state. It can happen anywhere. Pay attention and speak out.

Have you downloaded our free resource yet? “Turning the Page: An Advocate’s Guide to the Freedom to Read” is here to help parents, educators, students, and community members stand strong against censorship. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_... #FreedomToRead

This was an amazing podcast to be invited on–tune in now!

Book bans don’t “protect” kids; they erase perspectives, silence voices, and narrow our shared imagination. A free society thrives on stories that challenge, unsettle, and expand our thinking. Let’s keep our shelves full, not empty. #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom #LetKidsRead

97 new objections in Clay (by two people) that resulted in: - 46 Restrictions - 31 Removals - 11 Withdrawn (titles not in catalog) - 8 Retained - 1 “Weeded” (cannot be re-ordered, so not really weeded) For those that thought the ruling would save us- it didn’t. docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Look. I'm not mad you bought a Kimmel picture book. But marginalized creators are getting banned and death threats and harassed all the time. It'd be neat to show them that wallet solidarity.

If you’re upset about the government pressure used to suspend Jimmy Kimmel, you should pay close attention to the “government speech” argument that has been used to defend viewpoint-based censorship in our school and public libraries. (This article is from 2023) www.tallahassee.com/story/news/p...

Floridians, we have a responsibility to speak up at the federal level and submit a comment about our “patriotic” curriculum. You can leave your comment here before 10/17/25: www.regulations.gov/document/ED-...

Don’t mind us. Just a few Texas parents out here fighting to protect our kids’ right to read… {checks notes} ….. Pinkalicious….?!?! No one is coming to save us. If you want to start fighting for books wherever you live, we recommend starting here: www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

The @freedomreadproject.bsky.social has created a free guide to advocacy drawn from the experience of parents who had to fend off a coordinated attack on the right to read. Download it here: Turning the Page - Freedom to Read Project

#tdih 1787 U.S. Constitution was signed. We offer five ways to participate in #TeachTruth on #ConstitutionDay. Free lessons, a gallery walk for any public space or gathering, know your rights docs & posters, picture books, social media graphics, & more ⬇️ www.zinnedproject.org/news/5-ways-...

Now that the DOE has revealed their plan to make America Florida with their Civics standards, we thought we would re-up some of these posts from the past. You can see the outline for this educator training at civicsliteracy.org. (Getting access to the videos required a public records request.)

Proud to offer an intro to this important guide from @freedomreadproject.bsky.social - for more information - go here! www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_...

Watch the star-studded on-demand webinar & download the guide today👇 I did both at 9 a.m. and am blown away! The guide is comprehensive, easy to read, and jam-packed with tactical, strategic tools to make you and your group effective advocates for intellectual freedom. Stellar work! 🤩

The webinar starts at 9am, but you can download the guide right now!

This statement from the FLDOE is as clear as mud and represents the guidance/leadership our districts have dealt with over the last four years on this issue. Hillsborough’s process resulted in a committee decision to keep a book that the state later forced off shelves. www.wusf.org/politics-iss...

Thank you, @ncacensorship.bsky.social for sending a letter to Escambia leadership ahead of their meeting tonight. Read the full letter here: ncac.org/news/escambi...

⏳📘 Only 2 days to go! 📘⏳ We’re counting down to the release of “Turning the Page: An Advocate’s Guide to the Freedom to Read!” This free workbook is packed with strategies, tips, and tools to help you stand strong against book bans and censorship. freedomtoreadproject.org

In more news ignoring Judge Mendoza’s ruling, Escambia County Public Schools (currently facing TWO lawsuits over book removals) will move forward with doing away with their committee review process. www.pnj.com/story/news/l...

In response to Erika Donalds’ op-ed praising the $15.6M “Parent Portal,” public school parent (and one of our directors), Raegan Miller, submitted a response calling out the wasteful spending and false narrative that this is beneficial for public school parents. www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/l...

Students, parents, educators , and community members are stepping forward across the US to speak up for our First Amendment right to access information. You can do it too! www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

Appealing the ruling argues against local control to decide appropriateness standards, argues against the First Amendment rights of students, and wastes vital taxpayer dollars. Why would they do this?

On August 20, Collier County School District leadership sent out an email asking media specialists to pull books from the state’s annual removal lists for an internal review. Titles include And Tango Makes Three, Drama, Christian the Hugging Lion, and Julian is a Mermaid.

I've only been able to share lengthy deep dives lately because giving stories as much context as possible–and now having so much context to provide!–is necessary for recognizing patterns. I hope if nothing else, this helps folks better critically read and understand nonsense from the regime.

Texans are standing up to book bans. Discover how the Texas Freedom to Read Project is protecting stories + democracy. freedomtoreadproject.org/protecting_stories_preserving_democracy_inside_texas_freedom_to_read_project #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans @txfreedomread.bsky.social