Freedom to Learn Foundation
The Freedom to Learn Foundation (FTLF) is dedicated to protecting our public libraries and institutions of learning and democracy. Safeguarding intellectual freedom, educational equity, and access to information for all. We believe that every individual—regardless of background—deserves the right to read, learn, and explore ideas without censorship or restriction. Our mission is simple but urgent: to combat book bans, defend libraries, and empower communities to stand up for the freedom to learn.
FTLF operates at the intersection of education, advocacy, and legal action to ensure that books, media, and ideas remain accessible in classrooms, libraries, and public spaces.
Our core programs include:
✅ Protecting Libraries & Defending Educators
✅ Education & Awareness
✅ Leadership Development
✅ Legal & Policy Support
✅ Coalition Building & Community Engagement
Public libraries and educators are under sustained political assault. Many face budget threats, legal harassment, or even physical danger for upholding free expression. Make no mistake, these efforts to defund the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and criminalize book access are part of a broader strategy to destabilize public institutions and our public education infrastructure.
We provide direct support to embattled librarians and teachers, advocate for funding and legal protections, and promote their essential role in a healthy, informed democracy.
Hosting workshops, training, and community events to educate students, parents, and educators about the dangers of censorship and the importance of diverse perspectives.
We create public programming that helps people understand the scope and stakes of censorship in America today. Through public forums, classroom presentations, and digital campaigns, we illuminate how book bans often target communities of color and LGBTQ+ youth, suppress historical truth, and silence critical perspectives. Our educational content draws from current data and investigative reporting to empower individuals to push back effectively and legally.
Training the next generation of advocates, educators, and policymakers to fight back against book bans and restrictive policies in their communities.
We train and mentor emerging leaders—students, librarians, teachers, and parent advocates—who are defending intellectual freedom in their communities. Participants in our programs gain the tools to organize, testify, and speak out publicly against censorship. From red states to blue cities, we’re investing in grassroots leaders to shift the narrative and protect educational justice for future generations.
Providing legal resources, amicus briefs, and policy advocacy to challenge unconstitutional censorship and promote the Freedom to Read at the state level
Our legal work includes submitting amicus briefs in cases of national significance, advising local and state policymakers, and supporting litigation against unconstitutional censorship laws. We use legal precedent from the Supreme Court and insights from leading First Amendment experts to highlight how recent laws are vague, overbroad, and discriminatory—violating students’ rights to access diverse viewpoints and librarians’ freedom to provide information.
Bringing together authors, librarians, educators, and advocates to build a national movement against censorship and attacks on intellectual freedom.
We work hand-in-hand with national publishers, grassroots organizers, library associations, and civil liberties groups to strengthen the pro-democracy coalition. Our partners include authors whose books are frequently challenged, library systems defending community access, and legal advocates challenging censorship in court. Together, we amplify resistance, support defenders, and coordinate strategic campaigns across sectors.
The fight for intellectual freedom has never been more urgent. Across the country, schools and libraries are under coordinated assault. Extremist networks are promoting legislation that bans books, limits classroom discussion, and erases entire communities from curricula. These bans often target books that center Black history, queer identity, immigrant narratives, and social justice themes—threatening the diversity that defines American public education.
With over 4,000 book challenges recorded last year—many orchestrated by politically affiliated and ideological organizations, and filed en masse using pre-written complaint templates—the crisis of censorship, book banning, and escalating threats against educators and librarians is only growing. State laws in places like Florida and Missouri allow a single objection to result in the removal of a book district-wide, with no expert review or educational input.
At the same time, librarians and educators are facing harassment, job loss, and criminal charges for simply upholding students’ rights to read. Public libraries are being defunded for refusing to remove inclusive titles, and the federal agency that supports them—the Institute of Museum and Library Services—is being reshaped by partisan appointees.
This is not just about books. It’s about democracy, access to truth, and the future of education in America. We do this work because every student deserves the freedom to think critically, engage openly, and grow into an informed citizen. And we know that when libraries are silenced and teachers are punished, entire communities lose their voice.
We refuse to let that happen.
