Last month, the American Library Association released the Spring/Summer ALA Graphics Catalog. The cover of the catalog highlights the theme for Banned Books Week 2022: “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us”, with accompanying images of birds flying free contrasted by individual birds separated in cages. 

Here are just a few of the many items highlighted within the new catalog: 

1.) Banned Books Week Materials 

As mentioned above, the theme for Banned Books Week 2022 relates to how censorship divides us from each other and locks away our freedoms, while reading books expands our worldview, especially books that allow us to soar. There are a wide variety of Banned Books Materials to choose from in the catalog, and many are available in both print and downloadable digital file formats. Among the items featured in the catalog are posters, a bookmark of the most challenged books of 2021, an “I Read Banned Books” Rainbow sticker roll, mugs, and bracelets. 

Since its beginnings in the 1980’s, Banned Books Week has become one of the most widely recognizable library-related events and reaches an estimated 2.8 billion readers. The event not only brings attention to past and current challenges to the freedom to read, but also celebrates the librarians, teachers, students, and others who defend those freedoms. 

Additional Items for Banned Books Week, including a Field Report for 2021, will be made available in the coming months. Free downloadable infographics on book challenges and censorship are currently available on the ALA’s website here. 

2.) Loud Mouse Poster and Bookmark for Library Card Sign-Up Month

Loud Mouse is an upcoming picture book by sisters Cara Mentzel and Idina Menzel, honorary chairs of Library Card Sign-Up Month 2022. Cara Mentzel has a background in education with a focus on children’s literacy. Idina Menzel is known around the world as the voice of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen, and is the cofounder of A Broader Way Foundation, who work to empower young women and encourage expression through the arts.

With this poster and its accompanying bookmark, you can celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month with your community and encourage readers of all ages to “Find Your Voice at the La La La Library!” 

3.) Copyright Poster and Bookmark 

This poster and its accompanying bookmark are both informative tools for library users to learn about the importance of copyright and fair use. In addition to instructing on good copyright practices, they also direct library patrons to additional sources of information where they can find out even more about copyright and related issues. These tools were created by Carrie Russell, who was the copyright specialist for the Public Policy and Advocacy Office for the ALA for 22 years, and the author of Complete Copyright for K-12 Librarians and Educators. 

The ALA Graphics Office works alongside the Office of Intellectual Freedom and has been producing official posters, bookmarks, gifts, and other incentives for more than 35 years. They are the official source of promotional materials for library events such as Banned Books Week, National Library Week, National Library Workers Day, and Library Card Sign-Up Month. The Office supports the ALA’s larger mission “through the development of quality products celebrating libraries, literacy, and reading”. Any purchases made through the official ALA Graphics Store will go towards advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library and other information professionals around the world.