Book access can be a lifeline for readers of all ages. “What I hear from librarians and booksellers again and again is that the books being forced off shelves are often the ones readers need most,” says Margaret Coffee, Senior Director of Sales, Libraries and Education at Sourcebooks.

The ALA reports that in 2024, organized campaigns from pressure groups and government entities, not individuals, initiated 72% of all book censorship demands. The same push repeatedly targets books by and about LGBTQ+ people and people of color.

“We won’t stand by while authors’ stories are erased,” says Todd Stocke, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director at Sourcebooks. “Our responsibility as publishers is to connect readers with the books that make them feel seen and inspired.”

Sourcebooks is tripling down on its commitment to get books into readers’ hands as censorship and disinformation campaigns intensify across the country. “We’re building a robust future for books,” says Dominique Raccah, Publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks. “A future where curiosity is celebrated and reading is a unifying force for good.” The publisher saw an urgent need in late 2024 to strengthen its efforts to stand up for diversity, fight book challenges, and protect every author’s right to share their stories. Several internal initiatives evolved from this, among them the Right to Read Taskforce in early 2025.

The Right to Read Taskforce is just one piece of Sourcebooks’ anti-censorship work: a commitment that’s rooted in their mission, from the books they publish to how they collaborate with authors and customers. Just this year, Sourcebooks signed on to four new coalition letters/legal actions that defend intellectual freedom; sent employees to pertinent industry meetings, and increased its support of—and involvement with—organizations like the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), and the Banned Book Awards sponsored by the Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation.

The Taskforce has also hosted all-company virtual discussions with leaders like Philomena Polefrone, Associate Director of ABFE and Lee Rowland, Executive Director of NCAC. A lunch-and-learn series is also being planned, highlighting the extraordinary efforts of everyday people working to defend books against censorship in their communities.

“Our work here is bigger than just keeping books accessible,” continues Raccah. “It’s about defending the freedom to learn and to make our own choices, which is the essence of democracy.”

“The mass book removals we’re seeing are a coordinated effort to limit what people can know and imagine,” says Audrey Barsella, Senior Communications Manager at Sourcebooks and leader of the Right to Read Taskforce. “This is a strategy that pushes certain sets of values, while silencing the stories that reflect our diverse reality.”

She points to the ongoing attacks on education; funding cuts to libraries, museums, public media, and the National Endowment for the Arts (over $27M in essential grants canceled in May alone); and mass removals of thought-provoking books from schools (2,452 unique titles were targeted in 2024). “We’re fighting for people of all ages whose right to choose what they read is being taken away,” Barsella says. “Book removals are about controlling narratives, not protecting children.”

Sourcebooks vows to continue to defend the right to read no matter the cultural climate. The publisher calls on all members of the book community to pay attention to the censorship landscape, tap into what’s going on in their own communities, and leverage resources like Unite Against Book Bans, the ABA Right to Read Handbook, and ALA’s Banned Books for Kids.

“Stories build empathy and shape a future where every voice matters,” says Stocke. “That’s the power of books, and we will never stop fighting for it.”

“This is a defining moment for our creative community,” adds Raccah. “Sourcebooks has never stood on the sidelines, and we won’t now. We will continue to champion our authors’ right to tell their stories, and we’ll defend the booksellers and librarians who ignite a love of reading in their communities. The time to act is now.”