The Banned Books session was one of the most popular events at NVNR August. (Read about it at Shelf-Awareness). ABFE executive director David Grogan, Sam Droke-Dickinson, co-owner of Aaron's Books in Lititz, PA, and Amy Sarig King, author of The Attack of the Black Rectangles, held a lively, passionate discussion on the upswell of book bans in the country and what booksellers can do to fight them.

The session also was notable for the lengthy list of resources posted in the event chat. We've pulled those out for booksellers for easy access:

Link to NVNR session recording
American Booksellers for Free Speech (ABFE)
The American Library Association
https://www.instagram.com/americanlibraryassociation/
https://www.ala.org/

Information on Virginia's Book Ban, which could criminalize the sale of books by retailers
News coverage LGBTQ+ Books pulled by Fairfax County, VA School system
National Coalition Against Censorship School Book Ban Resource Center
Change.org Petition to Stop the Book Ban in Virginia
Book Pros(e) Podcast from Aarons Books: Episodes 4&5 discuss censorship with A.S. King
Banning Books Action Items for Booksellers from Sam Droke-Dickinson
Banned Books Bookshelf Sticker from Indigo Maiden

A book-banning group to know:
Moms for Liberty began as an anti-masking group in Florida, and have expanded their scope to "parental rights in schools" -- including lobbying against school curriculum that include Critical Race Theory, LGBTQ+ rights, and discrimination. Many chapters are active in campaigning to ban books in school libraries that address gender and sexuality. They have chapters in most of the states in SIBA territory.
https://www.momsforliberty.org/
https://www.momsforliberty.org/chapters/

Attendees can sign in to the New Voices New Rooms Attendee Hub to watch sessions and access all the special content available.