Background

This digital library links to books that are being banned or challenged by Republicans, Conservatives, fascists, and Christian Nationalists who are actively trying to ban information. People who normally say they are for “free speech” are against people having access to both historical and modern information about a broad range of topics. From LGBTQA+ rights and books about being queer, to the violent history of slavery, Jim Crow, and Black history in general. Trying to ban books that talk about the Japanese internment camps during WWII, or graphic novels about the holocaust. This is a direct attempt to block access to real and accessible information.

Information wants to be free, and no person should be denied access to books simply because someone doesn’t agree with them. We should allow people to live their lives and be able to read about topics that might resonate with them. We can’t ignore history or lie about it. We can’t deny the humanity of people by invalidating who they love, or how they identify. We can’t allow states, governments, and corporations to lie to people, feeding them misinformation for political gain. And so - in a small way, with a server in hand, or a website, or a blog, or a tweet, someone has decided to share the books that some think should be banned.

As with everything in this world, this is a work in progress. A living document that will morph depending on what is going on in the world. This list may branch into different directions but one thing will always be made clear: States, governments, corporations will not crush us. We will fight back for our autonomy to love who we want to love, be who we want to be, exist in this world. It’s not enough to sit idly by. Fight in any way you can.

Table-of-Contents

Accessing-Books

This site only includes links to banned books, this account and the people that share this info are not responsible for hosting the books or maintaining the sites that do. Want them taken down? (First off - screw you.) And secondly, take it up with the site owners.

Book List

These are some of the most challenged/banned books according to the ALA. Click on the title to download the book.

Use the IPFS download links, Library Genesis and Z-Library have been taken down.

Florida State Specific Lists

Florida is leading the charge in banning books. At the moment most school libraries are empty as the state has come in and removed large sections of books. The govenor of Florida, Ron DeSantis signed into law the “Stop Woke Act”, which prohibits in-school discussions about racism, oppression, LBGTQ+ issues and economic inequity. This is a testing ground for more bills and for more laws to be passed. Republican city and state governments have been passing their own bills and laws to attempt to censor schools and public libraries but these efforts have been localized in specific areas. However, if republicans gain control of the government in the next national election, we can expect to see these books possibly banned from all schools and public libraries.

Florida State Ban List - Thanks to PEN America

This is an incomplete list of the top most banned books in the state of Florida. This list is incomplete because some of these books are not available at the moment. This was updated Feburary of 2023. Source: https://pen.org/banned-books-florida/

Use the IPFS download links, Library Genesis and Z-Library have been taken down.

Keller ISD

This list was taken from a recently shared email from Keller ISD in Texas about a list of books they are removing from students and taking off the shelves. Tweet source is at this link Use the IPFS download links, Library Genesis and Z-Library have been taken down.

Index of all books banned across states

This is taken from the PEN america list of banned books across almost every school district and state in the US. This list will be updated over time. Source: PEN Index of Banned Books

Breakdown of the book bannings: https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/

PEN America categorized the types of stories — themes, characters, topics — reflected in the 1,145 titles that have been banned based on how these issues were identified by publishers or major reading databases. The results show a wide range of titles being targeted, with some consistent themes. Many of the categories below overlap. Identities: Titles that deal explicitly with LGBTQ+ topics, or have LGBTQ+ protagonists or prominent secondary characters have been a major target in the current wave of book bans. This is reflected in the Index, with 379 such titles (33%), including a distinct subset of 84 titles that deal with transgender characters and topics (7%). Fiction novels and non-fiction books with protagonists of color also made up a significant part of banned books in the Index, including 467 titles (41%). Books dealing with Jewish and Muslim characters and religious/ethnic themes have also been targeted, with 18 titles listed in the Index.

Use the IPFS download links, Library Genesis and Z-Library have been taken down.

This list will keep getting updated, as of Febuary 20, 2023 the full list of banned or challenged books across the nation is about 1,600.

Replication

This type of site can be replicated and modified. Want to make a new library to include links to specific things like trans rights and trans resources? Fork this library and add links to it. Want to include more links to specific information about social justice, Black history, and radical politics? Fork this repo and create one. This will make sure that information is being spread as much as possible, that this is distributed and decentralized. Make a copy in case this repo/site is taken down, fork this to do your own thing or to keep things updated. When forks are created, they can be merged with this site, so if you do create a new library list of resources of your own and it’s good, it might be added into this one.

How to fork a repository

Use your new fork to make a free website like this

Tiny Digital Banned Book Library

This digital library hosts books that are being banned or challenged by Republicans - Conservatives - Fascists - and Christian Nationalists who are actively trying to ban information.

Background

Table-of-Contents

Accessing-Books

Book List

Florida State Specific Lists

Florida State Ban List - Thanks to PEN America

Keller ISD

Index of all books banned across states

Replication