On June 25, 2023, the ALA, AAP, ABA, and Authors Guild, as well as other industry players, teamed up to issue a call for all members of the book community to reaffirm their commitment to the landmark “Freedom to Read” statement, which was released 70 years ago and which PW published in its entirety in its July 4, 1953, issue. The original statement—issued during the height of the McCarthy era, when censorship efforts were soaring—opens with an observation that is still relevant: while the freedom to read is essential to our democracy, it is continuously under attack.
Dozens of publishers and other industry organizations have signed the commitment, along with hundreds of authors.
From the Archive: July 4, 1953 by Publishers Weekly on Scribd
