A Win Against Censorship and Book Banning in Virginia

When a politician in Virginia tried to meddle in the local school district and ban books from the local school while ridiculously threatening the jobs of the librarians, we put out a call to action and hundreds of people stood up against her.

This week, our colleagues at VAASL (the Virginia Association of School Librarians) are reporting a win for intellectual freedom and the role of school librarians in Chesterfield, VA. We’re thrilled that the school board there heard the nearly 400 people who signed our national petition: “Let the school librarians be librarians; Don’t cave to pressure and threats from politicians.” VAASL led the charge in-state, and their fight against school censorship was bold. AASL and ALA put a spotlight on the problem with a strident editorial. And when hundreds of people like you in Chesterfield, around Virginia, and across the country stood up and spoke out for school librarians, it made a difference with the school board.

You can help ensure that communities get the services they deserve from libraries by signing a petition today

It’s time to say Thank You to the Chesterfield School Board for doing what’s right - letting their school librarians be librarians. They had courage in the face of political pressure from Sen. Chase. Decisions about student reading should be made by parents and educators, not politicians and bureaucrats. We need the Board to know how much we appreciate their leadership in Chesterfield.  Please email the school board and send them a note of thanks. The political pressure has died down, but it hasn’t gone away. They need to know that we have their backs.

This wasn’t just about one reading list in one school district, and it wasn’t about one state senator. It’s about building a network and a community of people who know what librarians do and how important libraries are. After you click through and say Thank You to the school board, please help EveryLibrary reach more people like you, people who understand. Forward this email to a friend. Tweet or post the story to Facebook. Ask people to stand with you for libraries, because when we do, we can make a difference.

John Chrastka
Executive Director

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