60 Small Things You (and Your Patrons) Can Do To Defend the Right to Read via Kelly Jensen

It's the second full week of 2026 and my question to you is the same one I have had for the last 5 years-- What have you been doing to fight for the freedom read in the face of increasing censorship across the entire country?

Seriously, I hope everyone reading this is doing SOMETHING to help fight censorship where they live. And don't say to me Becky, my state is doing fine, so I am good.

NOPE. This is wrong on so many levels.

First, I am in IL which was the first state to ban book bans, I was there when the bill was signed, but I also serve on the Illinois Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee, and let me tell you, we receive requests for help from library workers whose libraries are facing threats to their intellectual freedom all the time. So if you think you are "safe" where you live you are not.

Second, and this is what I spent all of 2025 discussing everywhere I went-- We need to be speaking out BEFORE there are problems. It's too late in some places, but everywhere else, why aren't you showing up to be in favor of the freedom to read at Board Meetings. Here is my keynote from the Bram Stoker Awards where I shamed every author and every viewer for NOT acting and then gave concrete info on how to go to a meeting and speak up. From that speech which you can read or watch here:

I am asking you tonight to commit to attending a meeting (or 2 or 3) of your local library board in the next few months. Even if, and especially if, they are not experiencing any book challenges. Why? Well, first, they probably are and you just don’t know it. The Federal Government is actively striping money from every public library in the nation right now. They have put the American Library Association on their “enemies” list. We library workers are in the thick of this horror novel level chaos every single day. What we need is to see the public come out and support us.

I also gave a version of this speech to a room full of publishers at an ALA Preconference. 2 people in an entire room of supposed library lovers had ever even attended a meeting of their local library board meeting and one of those was because he served as a trustee. I know many library "supporters" are not acting. 

Third, no one is "safe" from threats to our intellectual freedom in America. When anyone is being threatened, we all are. And this point is one Kelly Jensen has been making for over 5 years now. No one has done more to help fight for the Freedom to Read than Kelly Jensen. I have shared her clear action steps on the blog many times before-- click here and here for examples just from the last few months or use this link to pull up all of her literary activism pieces and censorship info roundups on Book Riot.

Even though Kelly has had many easy to adopt and follow action steps for you and ones you can pass on to your patrons, you all still aren't pulling your weight. Have you done ANYTHING? If yes, you can do more. And most importantly, have you used your library's platform to share how your community can help? 

The time for excuses is long past, but it is never too late to start acting. And to help you, Kelly has made a spreadsheet of 60 small things you can do to actively defend the freedom to read. 60 things you can also encourage your patrons to do because we get asked by the public how they can help all the time. Don't tell me you don't. I have been stopped at the grocery store, local restaurants, parties, etc... and am asked to explain what the heck is going on and how they can help. 

Please go here to read her article. Read the entire thing. And then especially pay attention to this part:

 To help with this, as the list below can be overwhelming to take in as a whole, I’ve created a Google Spreadsheet for you to use in tracking, documenting, and including any notes that might help you along the way. The document is locked, so to edit it, you’ll need to go to File, then select ‘Make a Copy’ onto your own Google Drive.

Please follow her directions. You click here to get access to the spreadsheet, but then you must go to "File" and "Make a Copy " so you can save the spreadsheet to your own Google Drive.

The 60 tasks themselves would also make a great series on your own social media or websites. Things you can share with your community throughout the year. Things everyone can do. Number 11 is one similar to what I have been advocating that people do:

Write a letter to your library board complimenting something about the work being done in your public library. Don’t overthink this. You can say you borrowed a book you loved because you saw it on display. You can say that library workers do a fantastic job of selecting material that meets the needs of your community. If you work in a library, advocate for making it easy for your users to advocate for you (examples here and here)

Please commit to 2026 being the year you finally step up and do something. And if you have already been active, make it the year you get someone else involved. There are 60 small things right at your fingertips.