About
Our mission
The Library Census documents what America’s public school libraries actually hold — focused on the books parents and communities are challenging — sourced to each library’s own catalog and quoted to the page. We don’t rate or rank any title; we show you exactly what’s inside. Built on that record, we’re the platform where parents and community leaders see what’s on the shelf, inform others, and act through lawful civic means.
We track the books parents and communities are challenging — old and new — watching challenge lists, district acquisition lists, and new releases. Fully funded, the Census catches new additions to school libraries across the country as they land.
We check what each district holds through the library’s own public catalog — and, where a catalog isn’t public, through formal open-records requests to the district. Where it matters, we capture the proof straight from the district’s own catalog.
To document what’s really inside, we buy the book and read it. Every review starts with an owned copy — $20 covers the book and the work of documenting it.
Each review documents the book against 13 content topics — Sexual Content, Sexual Assault, Child Sexual Abuse, Explicit Sexual Content, Profanity, Strong Profanity, Graphic Violence, Abuse, Self-Harm & Suicide, Drugs & Alcohol, LGBTQ, Race & Identity, Anti-Christian — with page-anchored quotes, grade and interest level, subject tags, and the source. We don’t rate or rank; we quote and cite, and you decide.
Nothing goes public on our say-so. Volunteer reviewers vote on each finding, and every published claim is confirmed by three members of the public. It’s not our word — it’s theirs.
We share what we find on social media, so parents learn about an issue in their own schools that most never knew they had.
When parents and community leaders raise concerns about a title, we give them the platform to organize — a campaign names a book at a location, gathers support, and always cites the record.
In Texas, we track how school-board trustees vote on these books — so parents can see who decided what, and hold them to it.
The Library Census is free and open, and it runs on donations. Every gift keeps the work moving and lets it reach more districts and more books.
Donations cover the month’s operations first. Every dollar beyond that documents another book — $20 buys the book and the review.
Fund a book review — $20 Give any amount
Thank you — your gift is in. It goes straight into the record.
Donations are not tax-deductible at this time.