The wave of book bans, already on the rise throughout the United States, including conservative strongholds like Nebraska, has inspired a real grassroots backlash. One of the louder and most proactive voices against book bans is Rooted Books, an independent bookstore in Nebraska. The approach taken by the store does not stop there but is reflective of an even deeper commitment to free expression and accessibility of diverse ideas, whereas local libraries and schools are pressed by various advocacy groups to remove certain materials from their shelves.
The Landscape of Book Banning in Nebraska
Like many states, Nebraska has seen a record surge in requests to ban books—many dealing with subjects of race, LGBTQ+ identities, and other perspectives related to underrepresented groups. As various reports describe it, Nebraska libraries have been on the very front lines of the controversy, receiving more than 127 formal book challenges between 2021 and 2023—that ranges from classics like Beloved by Toni Morrison to more modern works such as Gender Queer. Many of these challenges are driven by local groups like Moms for Liberty and by individuals concerned about content that they say is not suitable for young readers.
These are often the reasons cited for calls to ban books: explicit content or themes that are unsuitable for school-aged children. Yet, the broader social climate suggests that many challenges stem from more systemic ideological battles regarding representations of minority groups and alternative lifestyles. This has placed libraries and bookstores, such as Rooted Books, on the front lines in the fight for free expression.
Mission of Rooted Books
Rooted Books in Nebraska has now emerged as a rallying point for those who are fighting this consignment of censorship. A labor of love by several zealous educators and social activists, the bookstore voices its raison d’être: inclusivity, diversity, and protection of the freedom to read. Store owners often say they are not booksellers; they are fighters for intellectual freedom. The slogan they tote, “We really, really care,” speaks volumes about the emotional investment that they have in providing access to stories that otherwise would be erased from public discourse.
The bookstore often holds various community events, such as discussion panels and reading sessions, on books that have been challenged or banned. These events facilitate an understanding and discussion of why these books matter and what is at stake when they are taken off the shelves. More directly, Rooted Books works with local libraries and schools to provide alternative access to the books that have been removed from public institutions so that access to literature for the community would be unhindered.
Response to Local and National Pressure
At the heart of Nebraska’s book banning efforts lies a rise in coordinated attempts to ban materials. In response, Rooted Books has become an outspoken voice against the efforts—often in concert with the American Library Association and organizations like PEN America, which tracks and reports on book censorship throughout the country. The store’s involvement in the movement against book bans certainly dovetails with national concerns, highlighted by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and EveryLibrary, that such bans represent a violation of First Amendment rights.
This use of their platform to foster activism also takes its cue from larger national movements. They give out toolkits—similarly to the ACLU—on how community members can put on an advocacy campaign for challenging book bans in their own school district or library. The talking points, sample letters to public officials, and information on how to engage the local school board are part of such kits.
Community Impact and Support
The grassroots resistance, which Rooted Books has been leading, cuts across the swath of the community: teachers, librarians, students, and parents alike who share the concern of the bookstore. If anything, Rooted Books has become a symbol of a greater debate now going on, not just in Nebraska but throughout the country. The bookstore often posts stories about people who are fighting the good fight—people such as residents in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, who initiated a recall petition against a school board member seeking to ban 49 books.
One central argument that Rooted Books makes is that while parents have the right to decide what their own children read, they should not have a say in what is available for others. This is in line with larger legal and constitutional arguments by organizations such as the ACLU and PEN America, which maintain that efforts to censor books ultimately damage democracy by limiting access to numerous ideas and views.
Looking Ahead: United Against Censorship
The activism of Rooted Books in Nebraska reflects a growing national movement against censorship, wherein independent bookstores, libraries, and educational organizations coordinate on keeping access to a wide range of literature. In the burgeoning fight over banned books, especially at a state level in places such as Nebraska, the role played by grassroots organizations such as Rooted Books is crucial.
While book bans continue to surge nationwide, Rooted Books’ proactive stance serves as a template for how local communities can resist such efforts. Be it through events, through the distribution of toolkits, or by directly working with schools and libraries to provide access to challenged materials, this store stands firm in its commitment to fighting censorship. As such, it beacons out for free expression in a landscape filled with more and more polarization.
That tug-of-war between the advocates of censorship and those defending free speech puts meaning into the work of local efforts such as what Rooted Books is doing. Attention from a national perspective is heaped increasingly on Nebraska. What this small bookstore is doing might just make all the difference in how the future of free access to literature is going to look in-state and out.
