As if we need any more reason to love Stephen King.
The horror maestro reacted passionately and succinctly last week after finding out Florida banned 23 of his books from school libraries. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), King declared: "Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books. What the f***?"
King's post had been viewed 18.9 million times by September 6. In a statement shared with Newsweek, he expanded on his thoughts: "I have said it before, and will say it again: When books are banned from school libraries, run to your public library, or the nearest bookstore, and read what it is your elders don't want you to know."
In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation in the state banning books in schools that included any kind of sexually explicit material. Proponents of the legislation have said it prevents students from obtaining books that are not age-appropriate, but critics view the law as an attempt to stifle discussion about issues including race and the LGBTQ+ community in public schools, raising concerns that this law may censor many topics. As a result, hundreds of books have been removed from Florida schools.
Take action
Alarmed by the escalating attempts to censor books? Here are five steps you can take now to protect the freedom to read.
- Follow news and social media in your community and state to keep apprised of organizations working to censor library or school materials.
- Show up for library workers at school or library board meetings and speak as a library advocate and community stakeholder who supports a parent’s right to restrict reading materials for their own child but not for all
- Help provide a safety net for library professionals as they defend intellectual freedom in their communities by giving to the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund.
- Educate friends, neighbors, and family members about censorship and how it harms communities. Share information from Banned Books Week.
- Join the Unite Against Book Bans movement and visit our Fight Censorship page to learn what you can do to defend the freedom to read in your community.
Subscribe to the I Love Libraries newsletter! You'll get monthly updates on library news, advocacy updates, book interviews, book info, and more!
Photo: Shane Leonard
