Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas once said, “Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.” Though spoken in 1952, his words remain strikingly relevant today, as the freedom to think, speak and read freely is increasingly under attack. Nowhere is this more evident than in the growing number of book bans across the country. According to the Maryland State Library Agency, the number of formal book challenges to public libraries has increased by 133% between 2019 and 2023. The number of people who submitted book challenges to Maryland public libraries increased by 245% over the past year. Recent numbers from the American Library Association show that in 2024 there have been more than 414 attempts to censor books and other library holdings nationwide.

At Baltimore County Public Library, we stand by our customers’ right to decide what content is appropriate for themselves and those in their care. This has been integral to our mission for more than 75 years and remains unchanged for present and future generations. We are grateful to have support in Annapolis, with Maryland being the second state in the nation to sign a Freedom to Read Act into law. This protects the right to access books and educational materials in public schools and libraries and prevents the removal of books and resources based on partisan, ideological or religious objections. It also prohibits retaliation against librarians and school staff for performing their duties.

Libraries have trained staff who carefully and thoughtfully curate collections for their diverse communities based on established professional standards. If there is a book that you check out, or your child checks out, that you do not agree with, simply return it to your library and ask the librarians for recommendations on books that are closer to your interest. What is not okay is when a book’s viewpoint doesn’t match your own and then you work to take it off the shelves for everyone. Libraries don’t tell people how to think. Instead, libraries provide access to a marketplace of ideas and information with diverse voices and perspectives so that people can think for themselves.

For these reasons, I urge you to support the Freedom to Read Day of Action on Saturday, October 19. The freedom to read is a basic and fundamental right that all Marylanders enjoy: the freedom to access information, to learn about and explore ideas and perspectives that might be different from one’s own and to think critically. It is through this access that people can explore what it means to be human and gain both self-awareness and respect for others. Through the lenses of history and context, readers can gain knowledge about the world and their place in it. This Freedom to Read Day of Action is more than a celebration — it’s a call to action. Each of us has a role to play in safeguarding intellectual freedom, whether by advocating for policies that protect the right to read, supporting our local libraries or simply reading books that challenge our own perspectives.

We invite you to visit any of our 19 Baltimore County Public Library branches on Saturday, October 19, to pledge your support by signing a banner that will be featured in each branch and shared with local and state lawmakers. Our Essex and Perry Hall branches are hosting a community read-in on the same day from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Residents are encouraged to come together to read a book of their choosing, meet other readers and learn about the importance of literacy, libraries and information access.

While the role of public libraries continues to evolve to meet changing community needs, including access to social workers, computers, hotspots and job-related assistance, providing access to books and building print literacy remain core to our mission. When libraries and librarians are undermined because of the books carried on the shelves, everything else that libraries do to support their communities is imperiled. Now is the time to take a stand and use your voice during the Freedom to Read Day of Action.

Sonia Alcántara-Antoine is CEO of Baltimore County Public Library.