Former President Barack Obama published an open letter July 17 in support of America’s librarians in an era of increasingly frequent book challenges and sometimes politically motivated, highly personal attacks against those who resist them. “In a very real sense, you’re on the front lines—fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone,” he wrote. “Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.”