IBPA and EveryLibrary are committed to freedom of reading

The Independent Book Publishers Association and EveryLibrary Institute have partnered on We Are Stronger Than Censorship, a program to provide diverse books to young readers and counter book bans. Co-created by IBPA Chief Content Officer Lee Wind and EveryLibrary Fellow Tasslyn Magnusson, the program has begun fundraising and is partnering with publishers and bookstores. It will be publicly launched on September 9, ahead of Banned Books Week, September 22-28.

We Are Stronger Than Censorship operates on what Wind called an “offset” model, circulating books in response to ban efforts. “For every book banned or challenged between September 1 and September 30, 2024, We Are Stronger Than Censorship will purchase two or more books from independent publishers and donate them through regional reading freedom organizations,” IBPA and EveryLibrary said in an announcement. Since WASTC assumes more than 830 bans per month, that means about 2,000 books per month will be provided to states’ Freedom to Read projects.

“We’re actually thinking about making this a year-long program, but right now we’re counting down to September,” Wind said. “I’d like to see this grow bigger, to the point where the people who are so quick to ban books are hesitant because it will boost donations of books that promote diversity. I want them to realize that by doing this they’re doing the opposite of what they intend.”

In addition, as WASTC grows, Wind and Magnusson plan to publish “weekly shopping lists of recently banned or controversial titles for children, teens and adults,” Wind added. “This way, people can directly purchase copies of these books for themselves or donate books that have been flagged.”

Wind and Magnusson are in the process of recruiting independent advocates, finding inclusive titles for WASTC’s book list, buying those titles in bulk, and coordinating with organizations—currently the Freedom to Read Projects in Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin—to distribute the books at community festivals, Pride events, and other venues. So far, Candlewick Press, Charlesbridge, Collective Book Studio, Just Us Books, Lerner, Levine Querido, and Microcosm Publishing have each nominated a title for the list, and WASTC hopes to get 20 independent publishers to nominate books for its September list.

“Not every book that publishers have given us that we’ve chosen is their most banned title,” Wind said. “We ask them for some options so that it works out for them, and some publishers are willing to donate the shipping costs because that leaves more left over to go into a pool for authors.”

WASTC must cover the overhead costs for the EveryLibrary Institute, which financially supports the project, while also establishing a fund for authors who receive lower royalties on bulk sales. Public and private supporters can also support the project by purchasing merchandise, including branded T-shirts.

Wind is the author of several books on LGBTQ issues and history, including Gender binary is a big lie (Lerner/Zest) and the youth novel A different kind of courage (Chicago Review Press) and a member of Authors Against Book Bans. Magnusson, a writer and advocate for the right to read, is a senior independent researcher at PEN America. As the public launch of WASTC approaches, they are creating content on the topic of book bans and planning virtual author panels in September on the books they are featuring as part of the program.

Wind believes the fight against censorship can be fought by changing mindsets. “People feel powerless, but there’s a lot they can do,” he said. “We’re always on the defensive, and Tasslynn and I try to ask, ‘How can we go on the offensive?’ We’ve given so much power to the book banners,” and yet “we’ve made progress, and a lot of it is thanks to independent publishers.”

As examples of independent publishers making change, Wind cited Just Us Books, founded by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson to better represent black children, and Levine Querido, whose sales to schools and libraries have declined due to ban efforts and whose goal is to shine a spotlight on underrepresented identities. “We Are Stronger Than Censorship” has “an educational aspect,” Wind said. “We want people to understand that independent publishers are the drivers of diversity.”