The Hawaiʻi Library Association and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi Launch Initiatives for “Freedom to Read” In Celebration of Intellectual Freedom

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 6, 2025

The Hawaiʻi Library Association and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi Launch Initiatives for “Freedom to Read” In Celebration of Intellectual Freedom

[Honolulu, Hawaiʻi] – The Hawaiʻi Library Association (“HLA”), with support from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi (“ACLU HI”), is marking Banned Books Week 2025 with initiatives designed to celebrate the “Freedom to Read” and highlight why protecting access to stories and ideas is vital for Hawaii’s communities.

Members of the Hawaiʻi Library Association, ACLU HI, and college students joined in a press conference to stress the importance of intellectual freedom in the current backdrop of government censorship.

“The freedom to read is the freedom to think. And when we lose that, we lose one of the most essential tools of democracy,” added Denise Ojeda, a college student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Lena Whittaker, another college student at the university shared:

This issue is also personal for me. My mom was a librarian, and today she’s a teacher. I grew up surrounded by books and by the belief that education should be about opening doors, not closing them. Seeing more books banned feels like those doors are being shut for students who deserve the same opportunities I had.

Riya Sood, ACLU HI Legal Fellow described the legal importance of proactively battling book bans here in Hawaiʻi:
Banned Books Week is particularly important this year in light of the rise of book bans and the Supreme Court's recent decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Here at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, we are dedicated to protecting people's First Amendment rights in our diverse community, and that includes ensuring that our community can see themselves reflected in literature and their school curriculum.

Banned Books Week was started in 1982 by Judith F. Krug of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, in coalition with publishers, booksellers, and writers’ organizations. The annual event, observed nationally this year from October 5-11, draws attention to ongoing/increasing challenges to books in classrooms and libraries – many of which are related to race, gender, sexuality, history, etc. These attempts to censor undermine the core tenets of a civilized and educated society, and are ultimately attempts to silence voices, restrict perspectives, and narrow our understanding of the multi-faceted world we live in. At its heart, Banned Books Week affirms intellectual freedom, the right of every individual to seek, access, and share information.

Jenny Silbiger, HLA Community Engagement Committee member and former HLA President added:

Every person has a story within them, worthy to read, worthy to share, and worthy to celebrate. Libraries serve as bridges connecting us to the lived experiences of these stories, which are the voices of our neighbors, historians, teachers, and future generations. Their diverse perspectives are invitations for us to learn, creating space for meaningful dialogue. Celebrating the freedom to read honors our fundamental right of expression, which is essential to a just, fair, loving, and kind society. When we elevate the “freedom to read,” we all win, because we invite all of us, with our beating hearts and our very real stories within them and that make us human, to move forward together.

Video Series Featuring Local Leaders

As part of this year’s campaign, HLA has invited a range of local voices – including community leaders, authors, and librarians – to share short personal reflections on why they believe intellectual freedom should be cherished and defended. These snapshots will be shared publicly through HLA’s social media channels during Banned Books Week, and underscore the power of diverse perspectives in resisting censorship.

Recently retired Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice Mark Recktenwald wrote:

Reading has always been central to my life. As an only child, books were my trusted companions—providing a comfortable place when I was lonely, and a world of adventure when I wanted to let my imagination soar. When I worked for a while as an archaeologist in Peru, books were sometimes the only entertainment there was at the end of a day in the field, and I spent one summer devouring the Lord of the Rings trilogy, sometimes by the light of a single lamp.
As a judge, I spent my days poring over opinions written by earlier judges who had traversed similar ground, trying to find what still worked and what might need to be changed. Now that I have just retired, who knows what worlds I will visit through reading, whether it be something new and different, or maybe something old and familiar. Whatever it may be, I know that it will be an awesome adventure!

Krystal Kakimoto, Co-chair of the Hawaiʻi Library Association Advocacy Committee ended with a call to action:

This week is not just about the books. It is about the voices that help shape our understanding of our world and ourselves. It is a time to reflect on the stories that some have tried to silence and stand up for the rights of our community. The Hawaiʻi Library Association's (HLA) Community Engagement Committee is hosting a series of videos highlighting the stories of local leaders and their thoughts on the freedom to read and fighting censorship. These videos will be available on HLA social media accounts: Instagram and Facebook: @hawaiilibraryassociation.

Here in Hawaiʻi, we know the value of our diverse perspectives. Our communities are built on a rich tapestry of culture, language, and histories and our libraries are vital spaces where that diversity can thrive openly. To add to this tapestry, the HLA is collecting stories from our community through our "Why I Read Freely" campaign. This will become a digital wall of why reading freely matters and books that have changed the lives of members of our community.

Banned Books Week is not just a symbolic gesture. It is a powerful time when we can ask ourselves who gets to decide what we read? What happens when access to ideas are narrowed?

Community Reflections on Padlet

HLA launched “Why I Read Freely” via Padlet, a digital wall of voices that gathers local insights from community members. Contributors can respond to prompts like:

• Why does the freedom to read matter to you?
• What’s a book that changed your life? How did it do that?
• What would be lost if certain stories disappeared from our shelves?

Submissions can be made online through the end of October, with full contributor details available at bit.ly/freetoread808

About the Hawaiʻi Library Association

The Hawaiʻi Library Association, established in 1922, is committed to advancing library services, empowering library professionals, and enriching communities in the state. HLA fosters intellectual freedom, promotes literacy, and strengthens connections between libraries and the diverse people they serve. Website: hawaiilibraryassociation.org

About the ACLU of Hawaiʻi

The mission of the Hawai‘i affiliate of the ACLU is to protect the civil liberties contained in the state and federal constitutions through litigation, legislation, and public education programs. The ACLU is funded primarily through private donations and offers its services at no cost to the public. The ACLU does not accept any government funds. Website: acluhawaii.org