Chicago Conference Trains Librarians to Defend Intellectual Freedom and Fight Book Bans

Librarians gathered at the American Library Association's annual meeting in Chicago to receive training on how to fight book bans and legislative censorship. Attendees were encouraged to confidently counter book challenges and ensure the freedom to read. The ALA conference hosts thousands of librarians, library staff, authors, publishers, and educators as several states push to restrict access to books in schools and libraries, overwhelmingly those about race, ethnicity, and LGBTQ+ topics. The association in March released data showing a record 1,269 demands to censor library books in the U.S. in 2022, a 20-year high.