Key points:
- For many students in under-resourced or rural areas, the school library is their only source of diverse books and information
- How colleges are reimagining inclusion amid political rollbacks
- The urgency of now: Fighting back against the destruction of public institutions
- For more news on academic freedom, visit eCN’s Teaching & Learning hub
The library, from high school to university, is a laboratory of democracy–a vital space for developing the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate a complex world. Yet, this essential space is under attack. As student activists who began fighting book bans in South Carolina high schools, we’ve watched the movement toward censorship metastasize from K–12 classrooms into higher education, undermining the core principles of free inquiry and open access.
The true agenda: Control, not protection
Let’s be clear: The effort to restrict books is not about protecting young minds; it’s about control. Advocates cloak their actions in the language of safety or morality, but shielding students from difficult topics doesn’t make those issues disappear. It only denies young people the opportunity to confront complexity, wrestle with uncomfortable truths, and build empathy. If the true concern were student well-being, there would be an equally urgent push for access to mental health resources, comprehensive sex education, and culturally responsive curricula. Instead, the energy is concentrated on silencing voices and erasing perspectives that challenge the status quo.
The organized assault on academic freedom
College libraries are cornerstones of academic freedom. When books are challenged or restricted, it’s an assault on the educational process itself. In South Carolina, we’ve seen this play out with books that reflect diverse voices being disproportionately targeted. A PEN America analysis confirmed this pattern: Of the restricted books in a recent statewide ban, 52 percent addressed sexual violence, 52 percent covered mental health, 51 percent featured characters or authors of color, and 30 percent included LGBTQ+ representation. South Carolina now holds the dubious distinction of replacing Utah as the state with the most mandated banned books for all public schools, in a clear attempt to erase narratives that reflect the lived experiences of marginalized students and their families.
These bans are not “local control” or a spontaneous community outcry; they are an organized campaign supplied by national networks, Political Action Committees (PACs), and activist organizations that distribute identical “ready-made” book lists from Florida to Texas to South Carolina. This coordinated effort creates the illusion of grassroots outrage but is, in fact, an aggressive strategy to limit access to ideas and consolidate power. When state-level legislation supersedes local decisions, it often re-bans or restricts the very same texts, proving that the fight doesn’t end when a few books are momentarily returned; the impulse to restrict ideas simply finds a new, higher level of government to operate from.
The creep into higher education is already visible. In Florida, state officials at New College have reshaped curriculum and library holdings based on political directives. In Texas, laws targeting “divisive” content have created uncertainty about whether public university libraries can safely stock materials on race or gender. What starts in high school libraries is now shaping the boundaries of inquiry on college campuses, threatening the very mission of higher education. And it doesn’t stop at the books. It doesn’t stop at TikTok. It’s an aggressive effort to roll back progress and stifle intellectualism across all fields. As aspiring nuclear engineers and artists, we see this hostility toward open inquiry as a threat to every discipline, from philosophy to physics.
Students and librarians: The last line of defense
Librarians and educators are on the frontlines of this battle, often serving as “canaries in the coal mine.” They are the professionals who have faced harassment, police calls, and job loss simply for doing their duty: curating collections that meet academic needs and reflect the diverse identities of their student bodies. For many students in under-resourced or rural areas, the school library–physical or digital–is the only source of diverse books and information they have.
The American Library Association notes that the majority of censorship demands are driven by organized movements and government entities, not individual parents. And measures like “opt-in” systems, requiring parental consent for checkout, are simply censorship by another name.
This is why student-led advocacy is vital. In South Carolina, youth organizing has had a tangible impact, including a campaign that helped return 91 books to Beaufort County shelves. Groups like Be The Ones focus on informing young people about their rights and the importance of engaging in local politics. These efforts prove that collective action works.
A call for persistent action
The struggle for intellectual freedom will never truly end. It is a continuous back and forth, demanding constant vigilance. We’ve learned firsthand that activism can be exhausting. But the key to stamina is to step back when needed and, more importantly, to root your advocacy in what you are genuinely passionate about.
Our message to young readers and allies is this: follow your passion. Whether you love literature, science, art, or social justice, focus your energy there. Whatever your field, it will need protection, and that is where your advocacy is needed most.
Every generation has a responsibility to push the line forward, to uplift those whose voices are silenced, and to ensure that the next generation is slightly more free and better informed than the last. We must continue to support our librarians, organize our communities, and fight for a system that trusts students to be independent thinkers.
Millie Bennett and Isabella Troy Brazoban, both current juniors in college, began advocating against book bans in high school, helping return 93 banned titles to local shelves. Now in college, they continue their work alongside educators on the frontlines of defending students’ right to read and access a range of ideas.
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