09/28/2025
As book bans surge nationwide, one state is taking a stand for the freedom to read! Last week, Delaware passed the Freedom to Read Act, establishing one of the strongest and most comprehensive statewide protections in the country for library materials and the professionals who manage them.
"Freedom of expression and access to diverse ideas are the bedrock of a strong democracy," said Governor Matt Meyer at the signing ceremony. "These laws will help us raise a generation of critical thinkers and empathetic leaders, because our communities are stronger when we engage with ideas, not erase them." The new law ensures books cannot be removed from public or school libraries based on partisan, ideological, or religious objections, while also protecting librarians from retaliation for following state collection policies.
"Libraries have always been a place where everyone, regardless of age, background, or belief, can freely explore ideas and access information," said Representative Krista Griffith, the bill's sponsor. "The Freedom to Read Act is a balanced approach that allows community members to raise concerns through a clear and respectful process, while making sure books aren't pulled from shelves just because someone disagrees with the views they contain."
Under the new framework, materials must remain accessible during any review process, and only students, parents, guardians, and school personnel can challenge materials in school libraries. The legislation also creates a School Library Review Committee composed of education and library leaders to handle final appeals, ensuring decisions are made by qualified professionals rather than political pressure.
Delaware joins a growing coalition of states that have enacted anti-book ban laws over the past two years, including California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Connecticut, Colorado, and New Jersey. However, Delaware's Freedom to Read Act stands out as particularly comprehensive in its protections. "Book censorship driven by federal initiatives aims to erase history and limit diversity of opinion," said Senator Elizabeth Lockman. "Books and libraries have always served as a powerful outlet for expression, a pathway to success, and a practice in critical thinking. We must protect the right of our future generations to access these essential tools and the freedom to engage with the material of their choice."
While some states have focused primarily on tying funding to anti-censorship policies or protecting only public libraries, Delaware's law covers both public and school libraries with uniform statewide standards, provides explicit workplace protections for library staff, mandates that challenged materials remain available throughout the entire review process, and establishes a state-level review committee with education and library professionals.
Delaware's comprehensive approach directly addresses a troubling nationwide trend documented in a recent American Library Association report, which found that 72 percent of book challenges were initiated by organizations or government entities; only 16 percent came from parents and 5 percent from regular library patrons. This data starkly contradicts the narrative that school book challenges primarily represent parental concerns.
This pattern is now widespread across the country; in Florida, for example, an investigation by CBS12 News found that "overwhelmingly the challenges were brought by conservative special interest groups" rather than concerned parents. In fact, out of more than 600 titles challenged in Florida schools, only about 20 challenges came from parents concerned about books their children brought home.
"The movement to ban books is not a movement of parents, but a movement of partisans who seek to limit our freedom to read and make different choices about things that matter," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. "All who care about libraries and personal liberty must stand together and join the movement to halt this assault on the freedom to read."
Kudos to Delaware for taking decisive action to protect the freedom to read!
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For two inspiring books about girls fighting against censorship in schools - both for ages 9 to 12 - we highly recommend "Ban This Book" (https://www.amightygirl.com/ban-this-book) and "Property of the Rebel Librarian" (https://www.amightygirl.com/property-of-the-rebel-librarian)
For a thought-provoking young adult novel exploring censorship, we recommend "Suggested Reading" for ages 14 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/suggested-reading
For two excellent books about Mighty Girls who find hope by reading forbidden books - both for ages 12 and up - we recommend "Voices" (https://www.amightygirl.com/voices) and "The Book Thief" (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-book-thief)
For books for tweens and teens about girls living in real-life oppressive societies with little respect for freedom of expression, visit our blog post "The Fragility of Freedom: Mighty Girl Books About Life Under Authoritarianism" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=32426
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To read more about Delaware's new Freedom to Read law, visit https://www.wboc.com/news/freedom-to-read-act-becomes-law-in-delaware/article_113e6ff0-a119-4902-98b8-78bf664cc70d.html
To read the new ALA report on book banning in the U.S. at https://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2025
