This Banned Book Week, Buy a Book for a Prisoner

This Banned Books Week, October 4–10, 2026, the Rogue Liberation Library is asking the community to do something simple and powerful: buy a book for a prisoner.

At Bloomsbury Books, shoppers can purchase titles from a wish list of books specifically requested by incarcerated readers. Every book purchased will be donated to the Rogue Liberation Library, helping put reading material directly into the hands of people behind bars.

Banned Books Week, observed nationally each October, draws attention to censorship in schools and libraries across the country. But some of the most extensive book restrictions in the United States occur in prisons, where incarcerated readers face rules that can severely limit access to books. Restrictions vary widely by facility and may extend to dictionaries, history books, and religious texts, leaving incarcerated people with far fewer reading options than the general public.

For many incarcerated people, books are much more than entertainment. They are a lifeline—a source of hope, knowledge, self-directed learning, and connection to the outside world in an environment where opportunities for growth can be scarce. For some prisoners, a book may be the only mail they receive all year.

The Rogue Liberation Library is a volunteer-run program of Peace House, a local nonprofit that sends free books to people incarcerated in state prisons in Oregon, Nevada, Texas, and California, as well as federal prisons across the United States. The organization believes that reading is a right and that access to books provides knowledge, personal development, well-being, and connection to the outside world—especially for incarcerated readers with limited access to reading material.

How to Participate

Visit Bloomsbury Books October 4–10, 2026.

Look for the Rogue Liberation Library wish list, featuring titles requested by incarcerated readers.

Purchase a book—or several! Your purchase will be donated directly to the program.

Can’t make it to the bookstore? You can help cover postage by donating online at https://peacehouse.net/donate-rll/.

“The value of every book bought at Bloomsbury Books during Banned Books Week will be matched by a generous donor. Double your impact by supporting Rogue Liberation Library and our mission to send books to prisoners October 4–10, 2026,” said Jessica Bailey, an RLL volunteer.

This Banned Books Week, community members can help expand access to reading for people who face significant restrictions on what they can receive. By purchasing a book at Bloomsbury Books, you can support the freedom to read while putting a requested book directly into the hands of an incarcerated reader.