A RESPONSE TO SUPPORT THE FREEDOM TO READ

Books Unbanned Library Card

FREE Digital Access to Books and Resources for Teens Nationwide

A Books Unbanned library card gives teens across the United States free digital access to ebooks and digital resources, including banned and challenged books—no matter where they live. Books Unbanned helps ensure teens can read what they like, explore new ideas and form their own opinions.

This is a free digital library card for teens, created to protect the freedom to read in the face of growing book censorship.

What the Books Unbanned Library Card Includes

Partner libraries nationwide provide free digital library cards that allow teens to:

Access ebooks and audio books online
Explore diverse perspectives and voices
Read privately, safely and without restriction

Free

Books Unbanned
Library Card

Get a Card

About Books Unbanned

Books Unbanned is a national initiative founded by Brooklyn Public Library in 2022, inspired by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement and Library Bill of Rights. The program exists to defend teens’ right to access information, stories, and ideas—without censorship.

As book bans and challenges increase across the country, Books Unbanned provides a direct response: expanded digital access to books that are most often targeted for removal as part of a complete library catalog.

Why the Freedom to Read Matters

Across the U.S., books are being removed from school and public library shelves at an unprecedented rate—especially titles that explore race, gender, history, identity, and lived experience. This censorship limits what teens can learn, question, and explore.

Books Unbanned responds to book censorship by making sure teens can read freely, even when access is restricted locally. The program supports teens’ rights to read what they choose, think critically, and engage with peers across the country who care about intellectual freedom.

Hear From Teens Impacted by Censorship

Read In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned, a report featuring teens from across the United States sharing how book bans and restricted access affect their education, identity, and sense of belonging.

Resources

GET OUR
DIGITAL ACTION KIT

Want to spread the word in your community about Books Unbanned? Check out our Digital Action Kit which includes social media posts, printable fliers, stickers, the QR code, button maker templates and more.

Get the Digital Action Kit

In their
own words:

Youth Voices on
Books Unbanned

“In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned” details the impact of censorship on young people across the United States, using the voices of teens and young readers. Drawing upon thousands of stories from those requesting a Books Unbanned card at Brooklyn and Seattle Public Libraries, the report documents, in heartbreaking and hopeful detail, both the serious impacts of censorship attempts and how programs like Books Unbanned are providing joy, representation and escape for a new generation of readers.

Download "In Their Own Words"

Borrowed and
Banned Podcast

BPL tells the story of America's ideological war with its bookshelves by talking with people most impacted: students on the frontlines, the librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and the writers whose books have become a political battleground.

Start Listening Here

Freedom to Read Teen Advocacy Toolkit

Young people are our most valuable asset when it comes to the fight against censorship but activating them can be a challenge for libraries with limited resources and competing priorities.

Brooklyn Public Library has leveraged its years of experience working with teens on the topic of intellectual freedom to develop a free downloadable toolkit that is available to anyone looking to build out teen civic engagement programming. These resources can be used for one-off programs or as part of an ongoing series. This toolkit was designed to be adapted to work for you and your circumstances.

View the Toolkit

Freedom to Read
Bingo Card

Get a sneak preview of the first unit of the toolkit with the Freedom to Read Bingo Card (PDF). This downloadable sheet can be used to encourage teens to do research about censorship, book bans and how intellectual freedom issues affect them. The Freedom to Read Bingo Card is written by Kelly Jensen and designed by Emma Karin Eriksson.

Download the Freedom to Read Bingo Card

Initiatives that WORK
WITH BOOKS UNBANNED

Become a Partner

Books Unbanned partners commit to joining BPL in our common mission of defending the right to read for teens and young adults.

Partners are granted the free use of Books Unbanned branding to create and operate their own version of the initiative at their institutions.

All partners are expected to:

Implement or strengthen policies and practices for receiving and reviewing challenges to materials from the public.
Avoid rearranging collections solely in response to pressure to do so, nor adjust library card sign-up policies to placate external censorship advocacy groups.
Share Books Unbanned statistics and outcomes with BPL and other Books Unbanned partners.
Attend meeting to share updates and information.

Our Partners

Brooklyn, NY

Boston, MA

Los Angeles, CA

San Diego, CA

Seattle, WA

Long Beach, CA

Become A
Partner

Support the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, form their own opinions and work together with peers across the nation to defend and expand the freedom to read.

Get in Touch

Partner FAQ's

Books Unbanned partners commit to our shared mission of defending the right to read for teens and young adults. Partners are encouraged to operate their own personalized version of the initiative at their institutions – digital access expansion is not a requirement.

What types of partnerships are available?

Full Partner:

Make its digital collections freely available to young adults outside of its immediate service area - particularly to young adults requesting material due to restrictions, bans, or other access challenges in their local communities.
Regularly join meetings with other libraries in the Books Unbanned coalition to advise on strategy around access, education, and pushing back on censorship efforts.
Engage in promotion and programming expectations.

Promotional Partner:

Circulate and share Books Unbanned posters and other print materials in order to promote the message and advance the goals of the coalition.
Reshare Books Unbanned related posts on social media platforms
Support a Books Unbanned newsletter (produced by Brooklyn Public Library) by providing content or promoting sign up with constituents.

Programming Partner:

Develop and support regular teen groups/councils focused on advocacy and education around the freedom to read.
Host regular programs, events, or discussion groups for young adults focused on the freedom to read.
Attend virtual meetings with other Books Unbanned partners to share program outcomes and develop collaboration strategies among partners.

What does Brooklyn Public Library provide?

Access to BPL-developed curriculum and other resources to support teen programs and councils
A logo specific to your institution and permission to use the Books Unbanned graphics on promotional materials
Access to best practice documents created by BPL's development, marketing, customer experience, programming and legal teams
Support and collaboration from all the Books Unbanned partners

Why become a partner?

Take direct action in the fight against book bans and censorship
Provide Brooklyn Public Library with valuable on the ground information which we can then use to strengthen the project
Share your collections and resources with teens and young adults
Join in the power of the collective to support the visibility of the Books Unbanned initative