Endorsing the Books Save Lives Act of 2026

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has reintroduced the Books Save Lives Act of 2026 (H.R. 8235), a federal bill that directly confronts the growing wave of book bans and censorship targeting public school libraries across the country.

EveryLibrary supports this legislation because book bans are not just attacks on books; they are often attempts to erase people, histories, and identities from public life.

The bill would require federally funded public libraries and school libraries to maintain diverse collections, support staffed school libraries with trained librarians, direct a federal study on the impacts of book bans, and clarify that discriminatory book removals may violate federal civil rights law.

Across the country, books by and about minority groups and other historically marginalized communities are being disproportionately targeted by censorship campaigns. The Books Save Lives Act recognizes that these removals can have real civil rights consequences for students, families, and communities. Congress must act to protect these core Civil Rights protections to public and school libraries. 

Please join EveryLibrary in asking your Member of Congress to support and advance H.R.8235, the Books Save Lives Act, this session.