Bibliotheca’s solution consultant Lisa Stamm moderated a free webinar, Protecting Access: Concrete Ways to Prepare for and Respond to Book Challenges, on Aug. 6, 2025. The speakers were Tasslyn Magnusson, senior advisor with the Freedom to Read program at PEN America and an independent research consultant at EveryLibrary; Sabrina Baêta, senior program manager at PEN America; and Sanobar Wilkins, democracy projects coordinator at EveryLibrary and research consultant at PEN America. The webinar’s summary states, “Book challenges and other attempts to restrict or remove access to materials are making headlines and keeping librarians up at night. Get the facts and the tools to protect access in your library and support your community’s right to read.” The webinar did indeed provide these facts and tools by focusing on the experiences of school libraries and public libraries, explaining why tracking book bans is important, sharing what library workers can do, offering resources for where they can find help, and showing why book-removal policies are essential.
A Rough Time for Libraries
Stamm started off the webinar by introducing the speakers. Magnusson emphasized that the library environment is difficult right now, so taking care of yourself is paramount, even if that means taking a break from the webinar to watch a funny video. (Magnusson was correct that the content of the webinar wasn’t necessarily positive, but in the end, the participants showed their appreciation in the chat; the speakers did inspire confidence that library workers can be empowered to fight back against book challenges.)
Baêta spoke about the state of rising book bans in school libraries since 2021. They’re sometimes under the radar in that they take the form of being unable to purchase books because of budget cuts, not necessarily removing existing books—although there’s plenty of that too. Library workers must both equip themselves with tactics to fight back and protect themselves.
Wilkins shared that public libraries are having similar experiences to school libraries. Book challenges are becoming more high-profile, and politically motivated individuals are influencing legislators, Wilkins said. In addition, libraries are facing criminalization bills and other scary legislation.
Gather the Facts
Magnusson asked Baêta and Wilkins to explain why we count book bans and how it helps librarians. Baêta noted that we track them because you have to document a problem before you can address it. Banning a book isn’t a simple process; it’s restricting a book’s access, moving it, not buying it, etc. The library field has been reactive so far because no one saw a censorship crisis coming, Baêta said. Tracking book bans means we’re not constantly surprised by what is being censored.
Baêta defined a book ban as “any previously available material removed based on its content for any period of time.”
Wilkins encouraged library workers to learn about their local school and library boards, such as whether the members are elected. That influences how the board should be approached. It’s important to know their individual viewpoints, Wilkins said.
Start in Your Community
Magnusson shared Baêta’s phrase, “Get local and vocal,” as the summation of what library workers can do. Baêta explained that it’s an organizing concept for a national issue that’s daunting to face—but first, look at your own community. You can make the biggest impact at the local level. Baêta also suggested figuring out your own personal brand of advocacy. For example, if you’re not comfortable with public speaking, you don’t have to speak in front of a board. You can bake the people who do speak cookies instead—or you can write letters, start a banned book club, etc. Baêta emphasized finding the like-minded people in your community, including educators and local booksellers, to get their help and help them in return.
Wilkins echoed this, noting that library workers may want to get involved, but they can’t put their jobs on the line. Reaching out to local coalitions and national groups is the way to get funding and assistance with public relations and outreach so you are better positioned to fight. Wilkins highlighted a few statewide coalitions that are run by parents. Partnering with a group like that means library workers can build a community to fight book bans without risking their own job and, possibly, safety, Wilkins noted.
Know the Legislation
Magnusson chimed in to praise Authors Against Book Bans, another group that isn’t putting their jobs on the line but is still doing a lot to help libraries. Then it was time to discuss legislation, with Magnusson asking what legislation libraries need to pay attention to and what they can let others handle.
Baêta lamented that legislation is hard to read and intentionally vague so it can be applied toward censorship attempts; therefore, library workers shouldn’t try to interpret it without help. There are groups that do explainers for you, so look for those in your state, and read different viewpoints on proposed legislation so you understand the opposition’s side. In addition, become aware of good legislation too, such as right-to-read bills so you know what your protections are. Baêta reiterated that you should stay informed, but don’t go at it alone.
Wilkins added that EveryLibrary’s bill-tracking page is a good way to stay abreast of all legislation, because criminalization bills are on the rise, along with anti-DEI bills that may indirectly attack libraries. Partnering with organizations will help you find the right contacts so you can reach out to legislators and other stakeholders in a way that will more likely garner a response.
Have an Ironclad Policy
Magnusson turned to the issue of book removal and other related policies, encouraging library workers to read theirs regularly and make sure their library leadership reads it. Baêta said it’s important to document every patron interaction involving a book challenge because although it’s a hassle to do at the time, the policy protects the library, and if you follow your policy, it acts as a shield. Baêta provided a sample response to an angry patron: You could say something like, “I know you want this book removed, but we have a policy in place that you must fill out [name of form] first.” Pointing to a policy keeps emotion out of the interaction—and book banners tend to want a spectacle, so some of them might even give up if you stick to your policy because they don’t want to do the paperwork.
Wilkins agreed that library directors need to ensure that everyone at the library understands its policies. Magnusson brought up the related issue of safety, saying that you should trust your gut—if you feel unsafe, you are—and that if you don’t feel safe, you can’t do anything else, so safety is the priority when attempting to fight book bans.
Practice Makes Perfect
The webinar ended with a Q&A moderated by Stamm, during which the speakers pointed out more resources, including PEN America’s Banned in the USA, an index of book bans. Library workers can report book challenges in their libraries to PEN America and to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. They encouraged everyone to practice their responses to book challenges among colleagues so knowing what to say becomes second nature, making the situation feel less threatening.
Resources Discussed
The following are the groups the webinar speakers discussed as good ones to contact and learn about in order to be better equipped to fight book bans (not including the organizations already mentioned in this NewsBreak, such as PEN America.):
