The Community’s Voice for Libraries

We are a nonpartisan, community-based coalition committed to protecting your “right to read.”

Both the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 8 of the Missouri Constitution guarantee freedom of speech. This includes your right to access books and other materials without government interference.

We are parents, grandparents, educators, librarians, literacy professionals and people who love reading. We strive to ensure that all Missourians have the freedom to choose what they read, for themselves and their families.

Our Mission

The Right to Read coalition:

• Supports Missouri’s libraries as an open, accessible resource for books and other materials available free of charge.
• Opposes efforts to restrict access to materials available at public and school libraries.
• Supports librarians and educators who are trained and experienced to   evaluate and select materials for library collections.
• Opposes legislation, policies, regulations and executive orders that unconstitutionally infringe upon your rights
• Advocates for policies that promote literacy

Our History

The coalition was formed in July 2023 spurred by the increase in censorship efforts nationally and in Missouri including:

• The enactment in 2022 of a Missouri law that bans content containing “explicit sexual material” in private and public schools. Violations of the law are a Class A misdemeanor resulting in a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
• An administrative rule from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office in 2023 requiring libraries to change their policies in order to receive state funding. The new policy bans libraries from buying materials deemed obscene and from having certain displays in children’s areas.

These are unnecessary burdens on libraries. It’s already illegal to make obscene materials available to minors. Procedures already exist for community members to challenge objectionable books.

Our Leadership

The coalition is guided by a Steering Committee comprised of education, literacy, social justice and faith organizations. The Steering Committee monitors actions in Missouri and nationally that threaten our First Amendment rights and determines appropriate responses.

Our Members

The Right to Read coalition has 1,140 individual members and 93 organizations (which represent 50,000 Missourians).

Coalition members receive timely, important information about issues related to Missouri’s community and school libraries. We also provide ways you can help respond to censorship and book bans.

Please join today

We do not publicly share the names of individual coalition members.

View our organizational members.