There must be 50 ways: Participating in democracy #44: Be a librarian and support your librarians

When, in the aftermath of the terror attacks of 9.11.2001, the US government passed the USA PATRIOT Act and started invading the privacy of those who checked out library books, librarians rebelled and some refused to coöperate, based on the ethical obligation to protect the vast majority of innocent library patrons who shouldn't be swept up in some government investigation (Pace, 2004). It was a rare moment of the shift in image of librarians as quiet, even meek, servants of the people, to that of proud protectors of our civil rights.

And now comes the Christian nationalists, led by one of the least Christian US presidents in history, supporting book bans. Again, librarians are showing their mettle by openly opposing or refusing to do these un-American attacks on freedom of thought (Krutka, 2025).

Indeed, the American Library Association[1] is serious about fighting all forms of invasive censorship and provides resources to local libraries and librarians to support the brave resistance to those who would take away our rights. Supporting librarians who are under assault by book banners is a key participation in democracy.

References

Krutka, K. R. (2025). Counterstories as Resistance to Book Bans. Library Quarterly, 95(1), 58–78. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.1086/733173

Pace, A. K. (2004). Toward a More Practical Patriotism. Computers in Libraries, 24(4), 19–21.

---

[1] https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fight-censorship