Library and Banned Books Shirts

New to this? Read why books are being banned and how to support your library.

Book bans are up, library budgets are down, and somebody decided a summary is the same as a book. This collection says otherwise, on a heavyweight garment-dyed tee, a hoodie or a crewneck sweatshirt. It is the shirt for Banned Books Week in October, National Library Week in April, the book club, the read-in, and every Tuesday at the reference desk.

Printed to order on the Comfort Colors 1717 (6.1 oz ring-spun cotton, garment-dyed, relaxed unisex fit, S to 4XL in eight colors). Many designs also come as a Gildan Heavy Blend hoodie and crewneck sweatshirt (8 oz cotton and polyester, unisex S to 5XL, in Black, Sand, Sport Grey and White), every new design ships with both, and the product page links the three. A gift for a book lover, a librarian, an English teacher, or the friend whose apartment is 60 percent bookshelf. Library staff ordering as a team get a group discount at five shirts.

Related: the anti-AI collection, where several of these designs also live, and voting and election shirts for the school board race.

Questions people ask

What is the best shirt for Banned Books Week?
"Order the Books Anyway," "Reading Is Not a Security Risk," and "A Summary Is Not a Book" are the ones librarians pick most. Banned Books Week is the first week of October; order by mid-September for delivery in time.

Are these good gifts for librarians and teachers?
They were written with exactly those people in mind. Pair the shirt with the size guide; most people take their usual unisex size.

Where are the shirts printed?
Every design is printed to order in the USA on a Comfort Colors 1717 garment-dyed tee, and the hoodie and sweatshirt on the Gildan Heavy Blend. The print is direct-to-garment, so the lettering is soft and permanent.