The Banned Book Club now available nationwide

Readers across the country can now access banned books for free via the Palace app

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and our partners at Lyrasis have made over 1,300 titles that have been removed from schools and libraries available to all Americans for free through The Banned Book Club, available on the Palace app in Apple and Google Play stores. 

DPLA and Lyrasis launched The Banned Book Club in July 2023 to ensure that all readers have access to the books they want to read. Initially, using GPS-based geo-targeting, free digital versions of banned books were made available only in the specific communities where those books had been forced off library shelves.

As book bans have continued to intensify, however, we have ramped up our efforts: The Banned Book Club has now made free ebook versions of banned books available to readers across the country, regardless of whether they live in an area directly impacted by book bans or not.

Readers nationwide can now access nearly all banned books absolutely free via the Palace e-reader app. 

We know that book bans across the United States particularly target the voices of and stories about girls, Black people, queer people, people of color, trans people, and other marginalized groups. Enabling free access to banned books nationwide guarantees access to age-relevant material to those who are interested and combats the chilling effect that book bans have had on what people buy, read, and teach.

To access The Banned Book Club now, download the Palace app and choose “Banned Book Club” as your library, then follow the prompts to sign up for a free virtual library card. For more specific instructions, click here.

For more information on The Banned Book Club, readers can visit TheBannedBookClub.info.

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Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) amplifies the value of libraries and cultural organizations as trusted sources of shared knowledge. DPLA fulfills its mission by collaborating with partners to accelerate the adoption of innovative tools and ideas to empower and equip libraries in making public information more accessible. DPLA’s ebook work is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. To learn more, visit www.dp.la.

The Palace Project is supported by Lyrasis in strategic partnership with the Digital Public Library of America. The Palace Project’s mission is to strengthen the public library’s vital role as the digital center of the community with unique programs and software solutions. To learn more, visit thepalaceproject.org.