A record number of unique book titles were challenged at libraries across the United States in 2023. According to recent data from the American Library Association, targeted titles were up 65 percent from the previous year – the highest level ever documented by ALA.  

As efforts to ban books and other materials surge, the Library is raising awareness about Free to Read – the ongoing commitment to preserving intellectual freedom and “the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment.”  

The first step: Get a Library card. 

Throughout September, look for Free to Read experiences, swag, and installations – from the artwork at the Library Streetcar shelter at 9th and Main to seats inside the streetcar and banners outside Central Library and its parking garage. 

Library branches will offer Free to Read stickers and bookmarks, including a list of banned books to check out. If you visit Made in KC, you can buy a beverage wrapped in a Free to Read sleeve from the downtown or Country Club Plaza locations. 

RAYGUN, a printing, design, and clothing company with 10 locations across the Midwest, created custom Free to Read and Library Card T-shirts for purchase on its website. The company also has a popular library collection.  

“Libraries have been under attack, and we know that they're crucial for more than just reading; they’re community spots,” says RAYGUN Custom Sales Manager Ryan Hultman. “And so, we want to do all that we can to help support – and you know, if it's fun while we're doing that too, that's a bonus.”   

The Library will receive a $10 donation for each custom T-shirt purchase. 

During Banned Books Week, September 22-28, An Evening with Margaret Atwood marks the finale in the 150th speaker series on Tuesday, September 24; the Unity Temple on the Plaza event is at capacity, but patrons can still register for the livestream link. 

Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, speaks about the impact of standing up for the right to read on September 25 at the Central Library.  

A few years ago, after Jones spoke up about censorship at a public library board meeting in her Louisiana hometown, she received an onslaught of bizarre social media posts about her and death threats, which resulted in a leave of absence from her work as a school librarian. This experience led to the publication of That Librarian. 

"Libraries are for everyone," she told the Library. "And every person in the community pays taxes, whether it’s property or sales, or whatever. And everyone is a member of that community, and they deserve to be represented in the books on the shelves and through the characters and authors in all the books."

Patrons can also vote during Banned Books Week on the Library’s banned books meme contest. And a Library scavenger hunt on September 28 will have patrons searching downtown Kansas City for 20 banned book titles wrapped in brown paper and marked with Free to Read. Follow @kclibrary on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) for clues on finding these books - that are, of course, free to read.