Defending the Freedom to Read in the Land of Enchantment

We are Freedom to Read New Mexico, a coalition of parents, grandparents, educators, librarians, community leaders, authors, and allies who are committed to protecting the First Amendment freedom of speech and freedom of the press, including the right to read.

New Mexico is one of the most culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse states in the nation. Our communities include Tribal nations, Hispanic and Latino communities, immigrant communities, rural populations, military families, students, and scholars. Ensuring equal access to books and learning resources is essential to educational opportunities, cultural preservation, economic mobility, and democratic participation. Because of this ethos, the Freedom to Read New Mexico coalition operates as a nonpartisan statewide group of libraries and library workers, schools and educators, colleges and university stakeholders, civil rights and civil liberties organizations, community organizations, authors, booksellers, parents, and students.

News and Updates

A Strong Day at the Capitol on February 4! Thank You, Coalition

We want to share a positive report from our Rally at the Capitol on February 4, 2026, and thank everyone who helped make this advocacy moment such a success.

Join us for The Librarians Film Screening & Panel Discussion in ABQ on February 26

Join New Mexico PBS (NMPBS) and Sanctuary Cinema, in partnership with The Public Library – Albuquerque & Bernalillo County, for a special community screening of The Librarians—a powerful documentary examining the growing movement to censor books, the people pushing back, and what’s at stake for public education, libraries, and democracy itself.

A Day of Advocacy, Community, and Hope at the Capitol

The 2026 New Mexico Library Legislative Day was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when librarians, educators, authors, and advocates show up together with a shared purpose.

Three Bills that Protect the Right to Read in New Mexico Libraries

For the first time in New Mexico, a set of bills has been introduced to protect your freedom to read in all types of libraries: public, school, and academic. These three bills are the result of months of teamwork among lawmakers, librarians, educators, authors, and advocates who believe that access to books isn’t just for a select few. It’s about our rights, equal opportunities for learning, and making sure our public spaces serve everyone.

Freedom to Read NM Update - Start of Short Session

As the 2026 Legislative Session opens in New Mexico, we face a journey that currently sees us standing at the base of a towering mountain. Despite a truly impressive letter-writing campaign over the last six weeks, Governor Lujan Grisham has not added our three bills to her "first tier" of special interest legislation to consider at the session. However, the Governor's office has extended an invitation for the coalition at large to prove that library censorship is a current and ongoing issue in our state. 

Sixteen Postcards to the Governor

Authors Kit Rosewater and Laurel Goodluck travelled to the Santa Fe Indian School on January 8, 2026, to meet with students in grades 7-12 to discuss book censorship. The students all had stories and messages for their state government, and together embarked in a spontaneous postcard writing campaign to our governor's office. Transcribed below are their anonymous messages.