Stand Together Against Censorship in Washoe County

Like most Americans, we strongly oppose book banning and organized attempts to purge books from library shelves. Recently, a small group has been trying to remove books from our public and school libraries. Read this article, from the Reno News and Review, to learn more: http://tinyurl.com/3z56ne4f

We understand that the meaning and value of a work of literature is so much more than a few excerpts taken out of context.

As a community, we want to raise strong, healthy kids. It’s important that growing minds learn as much as they can about the world -- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- so they’ll be well-prepared to navigate it and thrive. Books are tools for understanding complexity. Limiting young people's access to books does not protect them from the challenging issues we all encounter in our lives.

Many of the books that have been challenged feature LGBTQIA+ characters, characters of color, and diversity-related themes. Everyone, especially young people, should see themselves reflected in library books. Furthermore, it's just as important to see others' experiences reflected in books, which - research shows time and again - helps develop empathy and compassion.

We trust our teachers and librarians, who have training and education in literature and youth development, to curate collections for our community.

Removing and banning books from public libraries is a slippery slope to government censorship and the erosion of our country's commitment to freedom of expression. Sign here to support the freedom to read in Washoe County.