Earlier this year a group of librarians stopped our CEO at a conference to express their frustration over the current state of the profession. These librarians work in places where new laws restrict the material they can have in their school library collections, and they are, understandably, alarmed about how they must operate to stay in compliance.

Book reviews from professional journals like SLJ remain an important factor in their collection decision-making—in fact, a recent survey of current SLJ subscribers found that 91 percent of respondents are always or often interested in our book review coverage. The reviews convey the experience of reading a title, offering information about key plot points, main characters, themes, recommended grade level, and a verdict about its relevance to a library collection. They do not catalog every potentially offensive butt, fart, or pronoun in a work.

For years, book reviews—along with a deep knowledge of their community’s unique interests and needs—gave librarians confidence in purchasing titles for their library. Now, for some, that confidence is shaken.

Let’s be clear: the librarians working in states that have enacted strict legislation are in an impossible position. Rather than exercise their professional skills to build and sustain collections that fully reflect the diversity of the people and perspectives in their community, they are required to conform with laws that effectively silence certain stories and voices. In some places, the act of placing the “wrong” book on a shelf is criminalized.

We recognized Banned Books Week 2025 earlier this month, and we must acknowledge the devastating limitations that have been placed on the profession and the readers and learners we serve. At the same time, we can use this moment to lean into the important, impactful work that has not been targeted by anti-library legislation. After all, we know that a great library is more than the books it contains.

So, what can we do right now? Dedicated librarians and library supporters can continue critical advocacy work to shape the legislative and policy environment in ways that complement, rather than counteract, our professional values. Kara Yorio describes some of these efforts in “The Critical Piece.” And in places where new laws restrict access to materials, advocates will continue to make progress fighting legal battles in court (the recent verdict in Penguin Random House v. Gibson reaffirmed students’ First Amendment rights).

While we live in this time of patchwork laws that either protect or deny the right to read, school librarians can make sure they are clear on the status of their state legislation. Look to state associations or the state library for guidance on current state-specific legal frameworks.

Finally, librarians can (and must) continue to offer amazingly creative programs that engage and delight students—or simply serve as that safe place where kids know they can be themselves. From zine workshops to cartoon clubs, or “murder mystery” challenges that teach research skills, finding ways to prioritize student interests helps them feel seen. That work isn’t exclusive to the library’s collection.

Banned Books Week is a time to recognize what is lost when titles are censored; it’s also a moment to amplify the ways that librarians can help fill the gaps that censorship creates.

Hallie Rich

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, LIBRARY JOURNAL 
AND SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
hrich@mediasourceinc.com