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The Right to Learn and Freedom to Read

Welcoming and inclusive schools provide books and materials that allow students to see themselves, explore the world, and learn about the experiences of others.

Small groups of parents have tried to impose their personal views on entire school communities. Yet, schools already have rigorous processes to identify books with learning value that are age-appropriate for students.

Students and their parents should be able to make their own choices, not dictated by others. Under Federal law, parents have the right to review their children’s school library circulation records.

Attempts to ban books are on the rise around the nation. According to PEN America, findings from the 2023-2024 school year show a dramatic rise in book bans. There have been more than 10,000 books banned in public schools nationally; 20 of those instances were in Pennsylvania. Nationally, the majority of banned books have included characters of color or discussed race and racism and/or contained LGTBQ+ characters or themes.

This worrisome trend is already negatively impacting Pennsylvania students, who will have less access to the diverse viewpoints and ideas expressed if book banning continues.

Read our fact sheet about book bans and your rights here.

Read our policy statement about book bans here.

Library Censorship and Book Bans in Pennsylvania

In late 2020, the Central York School District removed dozens of books from its curriculum and school libraries, children’s books written by Black and Indigenous authors, and books about race and racism. After student advocates and a groundswell of community support pushed back on the bans, Central York reversed its book ban. Still, a total of 5 school districts in Pennsylvania proposed or passed book bans from July 2023 through June 2024.  Along with communities and organization partners around the state, ELC-PA is fighting back. 

• Developing Story! All eyes are on the twenty-five books in Pennridge School District that were catapulted into the spotlight when a local parent brought a lawsuit challenging the denial of their Right To Know request; many remain on the challenge list for the 2024-25 SY as the Board wrestles with revising its Policy 109 on selecting and challenging books.
• Read more about book bans in Pennsylvania and access advocacy resources compiled by Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools (PA-WInS). 
• Read about legislative efforts in Pennsylvania in 2023 to protect the freedom to read and curtail book banning.
• Read ELC’s advocacy letters opposing the book ban policies proposed at Blackhawk (October, 2023), Central Bucks (May, 2022), and Pennridge (August, 2022) school districts.
• Listen to WHYY’s SCHOOLED podcasts about book bans and community advocacy in Central York and Central Bucks school districts.
• Read ELC’s October 2023 testimony in support of the freedom to read and testimony against PA Senate legislation to censor school library books.
• Watch our Hot Topics for School Boards webinar that includes a section on book bans.

In 2022 the Pennsylvania State Senate voted to adopt SB 1277. This bill did not pass the House, after our advocacy. This piece of legislation was based on the false premise that school libraries are filled with sexually explicit materials and that parents have no rights regarding children’s access to library books. It would have required school boards to identify and prohibit books and materials that meet a vague standard of “sexually explicit content,” regardless of the educational and literary value. In practice, books that include LGBTQ+ characters and themes would be most likely to be removed. More than 300 organizations and individuals signed a letter opposing this bill.  

While we successfully stopped this legislation, we face an ongoing need to counter similar legislative efforts.