EveryLibrary Releases “The State-by-State 2025 Legislative Landscape For Libraries” Report

From an EveryLibrary Releases Blog Post:

During the first half of 2025, EveryLibrary monitored over 130 bills in state legislatures across the country that directly impact libraries, library workers, and the public’s right to read. Our new report, Codifying Censorship or Reclaiming Rights: The State-by-State 2025 Legislative Landscape for Libraries“, provides an in-depth analysis of these legislative trends and equips library leaders, civil liberties advocates, and policy stakeholders with the information they need for effective responses.

These bills ranged from attempts to criminalize school librarians and redefine obscenity statutes to sweeping proposals that would cut funding, impose content restrictions, and interfere with local library governance. Conversely, nine states advanced and enacted positive legislation that protects the right to read, strengthens school and public libraries, and expands access to digital content.

The 2025 report provides a comprehensive overview of these trends, including an executive summary of 11 categories of harmful bills, such as criminalization statutes, anti-DEI mandates, and measures seeking to remove or defund library boards and local governance. These categories underscore a growing, coordinated movement aimed at legislating censorship and restricting access to books and information, particularly for marginalized communities and students.

Direct to Full Text Report
(34 pages; PDF.)

Learn More, Read the Complete Announcement (Includes Links to Full Text Report and Preciously Released Reports)

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries, Reports