For The People Newsletter Vol. XXXII
For everyone working to strengthen and expand public libraries
Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week 2025 is from October 5 to 11, and Prison Banned Books Week 2025 is from October 19 to 25. There will be a lot of conversation over these two weeks about book bans. It absolutely sucks for books to be banned. However, banning books is part of a broader right-wing fascist project that includes attacks on dissent, education, culture, and various communities. We have to understand and acknowledge the broader context in order to develop effective responses.
In 2023, Mariame Kaba, who is part of FTP’s steering committee, curated an exhibition titled “Return to Sender” about prison as censorship. Return to Sender makes a case that the broader fascist social project that includes banning books is a set of interconnected strategies designed to suppress radical thought, to extinguish resistance and to control specific communities. This social control also aims to create a culture of fear, silencing critics. As such, reading banned books is not nearly enough. For example, all of us have to become involved in defending and transforming institutions like our local public libraries. This is a major part of why For The People exists. We also have to take other anti-fascist actions.
Critical Resistance recently reprinted an edited version of Mariame’s “Grounding Thoughts,” originally published in 2023 as the political grounding for the Return to Sender art exhibition. We invite anyone interested to read it and to think about the concrete ways that you can contribute to fighting against current fascist repression including censorship.
🗣️ Join us for I did it, You can Too!
Thursday October 9th, 2025 | 6-8pm ET (3-5pm PT)
This Banned Books Week, join us to explore how YOU can take real, specific, and immediate actions in your own community to strengthen and expand public libraries.
No, it’s not donating money or signing a petition or buying a tote bag—it’s building real local power around public libraries and getting involved in how money, decision-making, and resources actually move.
You’ll hear from FTP folks about what they’ve done in their public library systems and how you can do it, too—don’t miss this!
Register now to save your spot!
📃 Favorite Library Quotes
FTP asked folks to send in their favorite library quotes…and you did! We will feature them throughout the year.
“Does the order of books determine the order of things?”
- From Walter Benjamin’s 1931 essay “Unpacking my library”
Here’s a roundup of interesting reading and listening material that we think you’ll appreciate. Sometimes articles may be paywalled. In other news, sometimes it’s nice to use tools like Archive.today or the Wayback Machine.
The Legendary Children’s Librarian of Harlem by April White for JSTOR Daily
Spokane County library district unionizes, citing scheduling concerns by Emily White for The Spokesman Review
Several suburban libraries began unionizing after COVID. Are they better off 4 years later? By Dean Narcisco for The Columbus Dispatch
Denver library staff fight to unionize amid budget cuts by Paolo Zialcita for Denverite
These sex-ed books were removed from kids’ sections at metro Phoenix libraries by Taylor Seeley for AZ Central
“Positive Depictions” Of Trans People Banned In Alabama State Libraries Proposal via Erin in the Morning
Libraries are public health hubs by Katherine O’Malley for WBUR
State Library of Ohio among libraries awaiting court decisions, congressional votes on funding by Susan Tebben for Ohio Capital Journal
Alabama library must give list of challenged books before funding is returned by Williesha Morris for AL.com
Alabama libraries could stop children from seeing books that ‘positively depict’ transgender people by Williesha Morris for AL.com
‘Not Obscene’: Judge’s Ruling Eviscerates Florida School Library Book Ban Law by James B. Blasingame for Miami New Times
FCC plans end to school bus internet and library hotspot lending by Sarah D. Wire for USA Today
‘A funeral for the library’: Skillman Southwestern Library to close this weekend by María Ramos Pacheco for Dallas News
E-Book Contracts Are a Big Cost for Public Libraries. One Harvard Librarian Is Fighting to Change That. By Sophie Gao and Alexandra M. Kluzak for The Harvard Crimson
Potential federal cuts put North Dakota libraries in limbo by Michelle Tom for KFYR TV
Texas School Administrators Use A.I. To Ban Books Like TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD via Kelly Jensen
📢 Take Action
Applications are open for their next Library Freedom Institute from Library Freedom Project. Apply by December 10th, we highly recommend this for library workers!
NYC: Do you want to take measurable and material action to protect and enhance our libraries? Join NYC PLAN at our second People’s Assembly! We’ll be at the NY Society for Ethical Culture in Manhattan Saturday, October 4th, from 12:45 – 4:30pm. RSVP here.
Last day to write: Oct 14. Tell the Alabama Public Library Services Board: Reject the Proposed Administrative Code Amendment. From Read Freely Alabama: “The Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) Board is considering a sweeping amendment to the state library code that would force libraries to remove and ban books with “positive portrayals” of transgender people, gender nonconformity, or more than two genders. This proposal is massive government overreach, unconstitutional, and a direct attack on the freedom to read.”
Survived a fire? Supported others in an earthquake? Burbank library wants to hear your stories
🎟️ Upcoming Events of Interest
💬 Oct 2 | Webinar | 1pm ET Meet Me at the Library: Reclaiming Public Libraries as Civic Infrastructure by Shamichael Hallman, author of Meet Me at the Library
📚 Oct 11 l NYC | 11am – 5pm NY Queer Zine Fair at The Center at 208 W 13 St
📚 Oct 11 – 12 | Astoria, OR | Astoria’s First Annual Zine Fest “Zines for Resistance” at Cambium Gallery 1030 Duane Street
📚 Oct 11 | Sacramento, CA | 10am – 7pm Sacramento Anarchist Bookfair at Flower Fist Art Market.
📚 Oct 11 – 12 | Kansas City, MO | KC Zine Con at Goofball Sk8
📚 Oct 18 | Charlottesville, VA | 11am – 4pm Charlottesville Zine Fest at JMRL Central Library
📚 Oct 18 | Santa Barbara, CA | 10am – 6pm Off Register: Santa Barbara Art Book & Print Fair at the CAW
📚 Oct 18 | Cincinnati, OH | Zinecinnati at ARCO
📚 Oct 18 – 19 | Minneapolis, MN | 11am – 5pm at Open Book (Downtown) Midwest Queer Trans Zine Fest and Conference
📚 Oct 18 – 19 | San Diego, CA | 12pm – 6pm San Diego Zine Fest at WOO! Studios
📚 Oct 18 | Oakland, CA Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair “Building anarchist infrastructure and interdependence” at Humanist hall, 390 27th St. Oakland
📚 Oct 18 | Salt Lake City, UT | 12pm – 5pm Alt Press Fest at Salt Lake City Public Library, Main Library
📚 Oct 18 | Watertown, MA | 11am – 4pm Watertown Zine Fest at Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street
📚 Oct 18 – 19 | Seattle, WA | 11am – 5pm Seattle Anarchist Book Fair at The VERA Project
📚 Oct 25 | Kansas City, MO | A Kansas City Anarchist Bookfair at Goofball Sk8
Thanks for this wonderful newsletter and all of the great work featured here.
I wrote a Substack for all of the badass librarians out there!
https://kelseyshipman.substack.com/p/the-banned-book-bloody-mary