Banned Books Week (October 5–11, 2025) is an opportunity to celebrate literature and a reminder that reading is resistance in our fight for the freedom to learn. Across the country and here in Ohio, school boards and libraries are facing efforts to remove and ban books that reflect the lives and experiences of Black, Brown and LGBTQ+ communities, women, and people fighting for justice. These coordinated attacks are political and are often led by a very small number of people.

This fall, there are more than 8,000 school board elections in Ohio which will help determine who gets to shape our children’s education. Ohioans will start casting their ballots next week. Do your school board candidates support the freedom to read and support access to diverse books? 

Grow your understanding and learn how you can take action to push back against censorship and extremism. 

Explore Pen America’s Banned Books Week resources.

Read the Ohio ACLU’s statement on censorship in schools.

Ask your school board candidates their thoughts about access to books. 

Let’s defend the right to read—and vote like it matters, together.

Electing common-sense candidates to our school boards can help guard against censorship and book bans in our schools. For more information, watch our recent event on school boards and download our School Board Toolkit.