The Right to Read Act of 2025 establishes comprehensive federal standards for effective school libraries, guarantees students' right to access diverse reading materials and information literacy skills, and authorizes funding to support these initiatives.
John "Jack" Reed
Senator
RI
The Right to Read Act of 2025 aims to strengthen literacy and information access by defining and supporting "effective school libraries" staffed by certified librarians. It amends federal education law to require states and districts to ensure equitable access to these libraries, culturally diverse materials, and evidence-based reading instruction for all students. The bill also authorizes new funding for literacy programs and establishes national data collection on school library resources. Finally, it provides liability protections for school staff acting on established right-to-read policies and affirms students' First Amendment rights within school libraries.
Right to Read Act Authorizes $600M Annually for School Libraries and Mandates Certified Librarians
The “Right to Read Act of 2025” is looking to completely overhaul how school libraries operate and how students access information. Essentially, this bill elevates the school library from a nice-to-have storage room to a mandatory, federally defined educational necessity. It does this by amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to establish a comprehensive federal definition of the “Right to Read” and an “Effective School Library.”
The Library Renaissance: What Makes a Library “Effective”?
If you thought a school library just needed books, think again. The bill defines an “effective school library” in detail (Sec. 2). Crucially, it must be staffed by at least one full-time, State-certified school librarian who is recognized as an instructional leader—not just a clerk. This librarian must support digital learning, information literacy, and collaborate regularly with classroom teachers. For districts, this means the days of staffing libraries with uncertified volunteers or part-time aides are numbered if they want to meet this new federal standard. The library must also maintain a sufficient, professionally curated collection of up-to-date materials, including openly licensed educational resources, and be open before, during, and after school.
The $600 Million Investment in Literacy
This isn’t just an unfunded mandate. The bill authorizes a serious chunk of change: $500 million annually for Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants and another $100 million annually for Innovative Approaches to Literacy programs from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 (Sec. 4). For parents, this is the money that could translate directly into better reading programs and, critically, more certified librarians in high-need schools. Local school districts can now explicitly use federal funds to recruit and retain certified school librarians and improve their library programs, including promoting digital literacy and extended student inquiry projects. If you’re a parent in a district struggling with hiring, this funding is designed to make those librarian jobs more competitive.
Equity, Access, and the First Amendment
One of the biggest impacts of this bill is its focus on equity and civil rights. State and local education plans must now describe how they will ensure that students from low-income, minority, or disability groups are not disproportionately enrolled in schools that lack an effective school library (Sec. 3). This is a direct shot at closing resource gaps between affluent and underserved schools.
Even more timely, the bill requires school districts to protect students’ First Amendment rights in school libraries (Sec. 8). Districts must affirm that they will not exercise their authority over library holdings “in a partisan, political manner or to prescribe particular schools of thought or opinion.” This provision directly addresses recent high-profile debates over book challenges, affirming that school libraries are centers for “voluntary inquiry” and must provide access to a variety of reading materials.
The Compliance Catch for School Districts
While the funding and protection provisions are strong, they come with significant new administrative weight. The bill mandates that the Secretary of Education collect detailed data on school libraries every two years (Sec. 6). This isn't just counting books; it includes the number of certified librarians, support staff, types of collections, and even the amount of time librarians spend collaborating with teachers. For school districts (LEAs), this means a new layer of reporting and compliance to prove they are meeting the new “effective library” standards. Districts that currently rely on minimal or uncertified staff will face pressure to hire, train, and report, which increases their administrative burden.
Finally, the bill offers a practical shield for staff. It provides liability protection for teachers, librarians, and other school staff acting in conformity with state or local policies regarding the “right to read” (Sec. 7). This is a smart move to protect educators who are just trying to follow the rules, though the effectiveness depends entirely on how clearly states and localities define their own “right to read” policies.