Dear Banned Author

With book challenges at an all-time high, library staff, educators, and authors often face stressful situations. The Dear Banned Author campaign, hosted by the American Library Association, encourages readers to write, tweet, or email banned or challenged authors during Banned Books Week and beyond. This campaign supports the fight against censorship while showing appreciation for the power of words and the authors who create them.

In our program, we will write postcards and letters to authors of banned books, sharing the impact these books have had on our lives. Younger readers can draw pictures to send. Join us to craft messages that show our appreciation for these authors and their important work. All materials will be provided. 

Questions about this program can be emailed to Molly at reference@bloomingtonlibray.org.

---

Banned Books Week focuses on raising awareness about attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. In 2023, the American Library Association reported a 65 percent surge in challenges to unique book titles compared to 2022, reaching the highest level ever recorded. A total of 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship, along with 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources.