Freedom to Read Timeline

The American Library Association adopts the Library Bill of Rights in 1939.

First written by Des Moines Public Library Director Forrest Spaulding, the document aimed to counter the “growing intolerance, suppression of free speech and censorship affecting the rights of minorities and individuals.”

The Library Bill of Rights, which has been amended and updated over the years, is still a guiding document for libraries today.

It espouses First Amendment-based principles challenging censorship and affirms the rights of people to freely access books, information, and ideas without prejudice.

On May 10, 1943, the Cedar Rapids Public Library participated in a national commemoration of the 10th anniversary of a book burning under the Third Reich.

Books by authors such as Carl Sandburg, Karl Marx, Thomas Mann, and Sinclair Lewis, all banned in Germany, were displayed.

In 1953, a group of professors, librarians, publishers, and others met to “discuss the current wave of censorship and attacks on books and libraries.”

Their 1954 Freedom to Read document laid out publishers’ and librarians’ duties to protect Americans’ freedom to read.

The American Library Association established the Office for Intellectual Freedom to implement ALA policies embodied in the Library Bill of Rights and raise awareness of the principles of the Freedom to Read.

Local resident Donald Witherell challenged the novel "All Right, Everybody Off the Planet!" by Sports Illustrated Senior Editor Bob Ottum.

Witherell called the book “filth” and asserted such books should not be part of the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s collection.

A reconsideration committee concluded it was not pornographic, but rather a parody of pornography, according to The Gazette.

Meanwhile, a Judy Blume book, "Then Again, Maybe I Won’t," was removed from Cedar Rapids Public School elementary libraries in 1977 after a complaint, and the district received complaints on three different Blume books over the following years, The Gazette reported.

After a New York school board removed "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut and eight other titles from their junior and high school libraries in 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the students’ First Amendment rights were violated.

In "Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico," the Court found that “local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the idea contained in those books.”

Banned Books Week is launched in response to a sudden surge in book challenges, including the Island Trees Union case.

Held annually, the week seeks to raise awareness of the value of free and open access to information and support the freedom to seek and express ideas.

The Library Board voted to retain "Forever" by Judy Blume after it was challenged by Timothy Stafford, an administrator at Cedar Rapids Christian School.

The Board formed a committee of Eastern Iowa librarians to study the book. The library had about 45 copies of "Forever," but they were usually all checked out because of the title’s popularity, according to The Gazette.

An additional book challenge came when local resident Mary Bensfield objected to "Through the Window," about a child’s life in 1890s London.

Bensfield said it depicted harsh realities not suitable for young children. She later withdrew her challenge after publicity.

After two challenges in one year, the Library Board updated its reconsideration policies to streamline the process.

A federal judge dismissed a class action lawsuit, "Montecito v. Tempe Union High School District," filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Arizona, alleging the district deprived minority students of educational opportunities by including racially offensive literature, including "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, in class assignments.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that requiring students to read literature some found offensive is not discrimination prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Federal courts also overturned book restrictions against "Heather Has Two Moms" and "Daddy’s Roommate" in Texas in 2000, against "Harry Potter" in Arkansas in 2003, and others.

Religious activist Paul Robert Dorr was convicted of criminal mischief and fined $125 after filming himself burning four children’s books with LGBTQ+ themes from the public library in Orange City, Iowa.

Earlier that year, more than 300 people signed a petition calling for such books to be removed from the library.

After complaints about the graphic novel "Gender Queer: A Memoir" being in the library’s collection, the library Board of Trustees, voted to retain the book.

In response, the Pella City Council considered taking over direct management of the town’s public library and usurping the Library Board’s independence. The Council decided not to move forward with the change.

In November 2023, the issue went to voters with a public referendum.

Just over 51% of Pella residents voted against the measure, leaving control of the library with the Board of Trustees.

After complaints by members of the public about books with LGBTQ+ topics and homophobic comments about employees at the Vinton Public Library between 2020-2022, two library directors resigned, and other staff left.

With just one employee left, the library temporarily closed before reopening with limited hours until a new director was hired.

In 2023, the Iowa Legislature passed SF 496, a bill requiring public schools remove books with “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act,” excluding religious and health texts.

The law also prohibits instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity through sixth grade.

Several groups sued, including the ACLU of Iowa, authors whose books have been banned, book publishers, the Iowa State Education Association, LGBTQ+ students and their families, and others.

A federal judge placed a preliminary injunction on portions of the law, but in August 2024, an appeals court overturned the injunction and sent the case back to the district court for further proceedings.

The Des Moines Register has documented 3,400 books pulled from schools under the law.

The American Library Association reported a record number of book challenges in 2023, finding challenges of unique titles surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, the highest level ever documented.

They documented 4,240 unique book titles being challenged and 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023.

Titles representing the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ people and people of color made up 47% of those targeted for censorship.

Pressure on public libraries is rising. The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023.