1 million checkouts and counting
As Banned Books Week 2026 (Oct. 4–10) approaches, The Seattle Public Library (SPL) Books Unbanned program has reached a remarkable milestone: more than 1 million e-book checkouts by teens and young adults.
Since SPL launched the program in 2023, youth from all 50 states have checked out 1.1 million e-books and e-audiobooks using the SPL Books Unbanned e-card, which is available to anyone aged 13 to 26 anywhere in the United States outside of SPL’s service area and is entirely funded by donors to The Seattle Public Library Foundation. The Foundation has contributed nearly $900,000 in philanthropic funding to sustain and grow the program, at a time when the rise in book banning and defunding of public libraries threatens free access to knowledge.
Books Unbanned offers young people multiple points of access to digital books, regardless of where they live or whether their local library can provide the titles they seek. Some youth join Books Unbanned because they live in communities where their public library has been censored or underfunded, or in rural areas where accessing a library requires significant travel or costs. Many face other constraints to access, such as disability. Books Unbanned removes barriers to the joy and learning that reading provides.
“I think about the kid I was, looking for a book that would tell me it was okay to be who I am. That’s exactly who this program is for. We’re proud to fund a program that puts a book in the hands of a young person who needs it, no matter where they live or what their local library can offer,” said Brian Lawrence, CEO of The Seattle Public Library Foundation. “I’m so proud that our donors have stepped up to provide 100% of the funding for more than 1 million checkouts. It says so much about our values as a community.”
Books Unbanned was started by Brooklyn Public Library in 2022 in response to an increasingly coordinated political effort to remove books from library shelves around the country. SPL was the second library to join, launching its own program with donor funding in 2023. Since then, the coalition has grown to include Boston Public Library, San Diego Public Library, LA County Library, and Long Beach Public Library — directly inspired by the success and encouragement of Brooklyn and Seattle.
SPL’s Books Unbanned cardholders come from all 50 states and several U.S. territories. The most sign-ups have come from Texas, California, and Florida, with Washington state coming in sixth – a testament to how many young people in our own state need more access to books. Utah, Idaho, and Alaska have the most SPL Books Unbanned sign-ups per capita.
“As Books Unbanned cardholders regularly tell us, this program has had an enormous impact by helping young people access books that expand their world and provide representation, learning, and escape. We are so grateful to Foundation donors for supporting the freedom to read for a new generation of readers,” said Tom Fay, Chief Librarian for The Seattle Public Library.
As testimonials from Books Unbanned cardholders show, the program means something different to every young person who signs up:
“There are books I can’t read in my local state and liberties taken away from me due to politics.
I appreciate the ability to read what I choose. Thanks.”
— Age 19, Washington
“My high school removed its library, and my local library branch is very small with a limited selection.
This card will help me access more books.”
— Age 17, West Virginia
“I think it is important to form your own opinions based on the knowledge and life experiences you take in.
The fact that people are trying to prevent me from reading something is absolutely outrageous.
I applied for this library card to expand my knowledge and come to my own conclusions about what is good for me.
That is up to me to decide, not anyone else.”
— Age 20, Georgia
To learn more about the program, or to sign up for a Books Unbanned library card from The Seattle Public Library or any participating library, visit booksunbanned.com.
Banned Books Week (Oct. 4–10, 2026), launched in 1982 by the American Library Association, highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek, access and express ideas.