More than 1 million books have now been checked out through a Seattle Public Library program designed to give teens and young adults across the country access to books they may not be able to get at home.
Seattle joined the national Books Unbanned effort in 2023. Since then, young people in all 50 states have used the library’s free Books Unbanned e-card to check out 1.1 million e-books and audiobooks.
The card is available to people ages 13 to 26 who live in the United States but outside Seattle Public Library’s regular service area. It gives young readers another way to get digital books when their own library may not have what they are looking for — whether because of book restrictions, limited funding, distance or other barriers to access.
The new numbers were announced Oct. 1, just days before Banned Books Week, Oct. 4–10.
Many Seattle and Washington readers
The largest numbers of Seattle Books Unbanned cardholders are in Texas, California and Florida, according to the library. But Washington ranks sixth, suggesting the program is filling a need here. Utah, Idaho and Alaska have the most Seattle Books Unbanned sign-ups per capita.
One 19-year-old Washington cardholder told the library that politics had limited access to some books where they live.
“I appreciate the ability to read what I choose,” the reader said.
Another cardholder, a 17-year-old in West Virginia, said their high school had removed its library and the local public library had a limited selection.
“This card will help me access more books,” the teen said.
The fight against removing books from shelves
Books Unbanned began at Brooklyn Public Library in 2022 in response to efforts to remove books from library shelves around the country. Seattle Public Library became the second library to participate when it launched its program the following year. Boston Public Library, San Diego Public Library, LA County Library and Long Beach Public Library have since joined the effort.
Seattle’s program is paid for entirely by donors to The Seattle Public Library Foundation. The foundation says it has provided nearly $900,000 since 2023 to keep the program running and expand access.
“I think about the kid I was, looking for a book that would tell me it was okay to be who I am,” Foundation CEO Brian Lawrence said in a release announcing the latest numbers. “That’s exactly who this program is for.”
In the same announcement, Seattle Chief Librarian Tom Fay said young cardholders regularly tell the library that the program helps them find books that offer “representation, learning, and escape.”
How to get a Books Unbanned card
All Seattle youth are eligible for a Books Unbanned e-card. But young people ages 13 to 26 who live in the United States but outside Seattle Public Library’s service area can also apply for a free card. Find eligibility information and sign up through Seattle Public Library’s Books Unbanned program. Young readers can also find information about the other participating library systems at Books Unbanned.
