Right to Read Day is April 8th and it’s the kick off to this year’s National Library Week!

So what can you do on Right to Read Day?

• Thank a Library Worker! 
  • Our library workers are dealing with unprecedented harassment and threats to their livelihoods. Whether in person or online, let them know you value their professionalism, dedication, and services they provide to your community!
• Check out (and read) a banned book
  • Search our collection and if we don’t have the book you are looking for, you can request a copy from another Missouri library.
• Get involved with your local library
  • Libraries are community institutions, and you can support your local library and spread awareness about its value in many ways. The best place to start is by talking to your librarian about how you can get involved. Did you know we have a Friends of the Libraries group at Mizzou Libraries? 
• And there’s always more you can do! Visit the Right to Read website to find other ways to support your libraries and reading.

“Books bring us together. They teach us about the world and each other. The ability to read and access books is a fundamental right and a necessity for life-long success,” says Burton. “But books are under attack. They’re being removed from libraries and schools. Shelves have been emptied because of a small number of people and their misguided efforts toward censorship. Public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship and what they can do to fight it,” Levar Burton, 2023 Honorary Banned Books Week Chair.