The Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators. 

It offers guidance for educators developing inclusive and viewpoint-neutral instructional material policies, including sample review policies. The handbook also offers advice for educators navigating book challenges. We hope this resource will empower school communities to defend their students’ freedom to read, create, and explore.

If you need further advice on strengthening your book selection procedures and resisting censorship, submit a Censorship Report to NCAC at ncac.org/report-censorship. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will keep all inquiries confidential. If you are not sure what help you need, please reach out. We are here to support you.

View the handbook below. Click here for a full-screen downloadable PDF.