The Banned Book Club

Readers nationwide can access banned books for free via the Palace e-reader app

WE ARE THE DIGITAL PUBLIC LIBRARY OF AMERICA, AND OUR MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE FOR ALL.

In July 2023, Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) launched The Banned Book Club to ensure that all readers have access to the books they want to read. The Banned Book Club makes digital versions of banned books available nationwide. The ebooks are available to all readers across the country for free via the Palace e-reader app.

The Problem

Book Bans across the US are creating a crisis

Libraries are being forced to ban books at alarming rates. These bans are unparalleled in intensity, and censorship over certain titles has tripled since 2018. Many book bans are silencing people of color and LGBTQIA+ disproportionately. And it’s time we take a stand to stop book bans altogether.

What We’re Doing

We’re putting banned books back in the hands of America

We have watched with growing unease the trend of libraries being forced to remove books from both physical and virtual shelves. We believe that readers everywhere should be able to access to the books they want to read and in the right of people everywhere to convey their thoughts and ideas without fear of censorship.

Last year, thousands of books were banned at libraries, schools and universities. Our mission is to provide provide anyone who is in a library that has banned a book access to the digital version for free. Every time a book is banned from a library, we’re going to help put it right back.