On April 8, the American Library Association (ALA) released its State of America’s Libraries 2024 report, an annual summary of library trends. The report is published during National Library Week, this year being held April 7–13. Censorship attempts took center stage again in the 2024 report. The number of unique titles targeted for censorship surged by 65% from 2022 to 2023, reaching the highest levels ever documented by ALA, according to the report. ALA recorded 1,247 attempts to censor materials and services at libraries, schools, and universities in 2023. Of the 4,240 unique titl ..read more

Another record year for book challenges Photo: OntheRun Photo/Adobe Stock Preliminary data from the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) through August 31 showed a 20% increase in reported book challenges for 2023—surpassing the record set in 2022. The data also showed an increase in challenges that targeted multiple titles, with libraries in 11 states receiving challenges that included 100 or more books. These challenges targeted 1,915 different titles, most of which are books written by or about people of color or LGBTQIA+ people. Illinois passes law designed to deter book bans On ..read more

Banned Books Week takes place Oct. 1–7 1,269 Number of book challenges documented in 2022 by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). This is nearly double the number reported in 2021 and the highest number of book ban attempts since OIF started compiling this data more than 20 years ago. The 2022 challenges included 2,571 books. 151 Number of documented challenges to Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, a novel covering LGBTQ+ themes. According to OIF data, it was the most frequently challenged book in 2022 over claims that it’s sexually explicit. 100,000 Nu ..read more

Ava Kirtley was a high school junior when she first learned about attempts to ban books at her school library in Walla Walla, Washington. In summer 2021, several parents and community members challenged a handful of books at the school, including the memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. In response, Kirtley and about 40 of her peers met that fall at a student-run social justice club to discuss how to respond. They made plans to attend the next school board meeting in December to protest the proposed bans. “One of the most infuriating things was that [the book ban supporters] were claiming they ..read more

On September 16, the American Library Association (ALA) announced findings that indicate book challenges in 2022 are expected to exceed the record-setting number of challenges in 2021. Here is the full release: Eight months into 2022, the number of attempts to ban or restrict library resources in schools, universities, and public libraries, is on track to exceed record counts from 2021, according to preliminary data released today by ALA in advance of Banned Books Week (September 18–24). Between January 1 and August 31, 2022, ALA documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, an ..read more

Libraries and schools nationwide are working overtime to repel an unprecedented level of attacks on the freedom to read. Vigorous debate, advocacy, and coalition-building remain the backbone of the fight against book banning. But some libraries, groups, and individuals have recently taken innovative approaches to ensure information access for all. Books Unbanned is one of the most prominent examples. The program, launched by Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library (BPL) in April 2022, allows young adults ages 13–21 to apply for a free ecard to check out BPL’s ebooks and use its learning databases. Seat ..read more

When asked about the impact libraries have had on his life and work, LeVar Burton answered simply and succinctly: “Better to ask what role sunlight and water plays in the life and work of flowers.” The actor, known for his roles in the iconic series Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, has long been recognized for his work as a reading and literacy advocate. From 1983 to 2006, he was host of PBS’s children’s show Reading Rainbow. He founded Skybrary, a digital library app for young readers, and served as executive producer for the 2023 documentary The Right to Read, which addresses litera ..read more

Libraries are facing a record number of attempts to restrict access to books and other library materials. In the first eight months of 2023, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reported challenges against 1,915 titles in libraries. This pace is expected to eclipse the record set in 2022, which saw 2,571 titles challenged. To help visualize these historic censorship attempts, OIF has created a series of infographics to help explain the current state of material challenges—and to give historical context. These infographics include: A heat map showing how many attempts to restrict book a ..read more

High school senior Da’Taeveyon Daniels has quickly become a passionate leader in advocating for students and intellectual freedom. The 16-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas, is the youngest member of the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Advisory Council, the partnership director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), and the leader of Student Advocates for Speech (SAS) chapters at Euless (Tex.) Trinity High School and Harmony Science Academy, also in Euless. In these roles, he has written and spoken extensively about censorship’s impact on young people, and he has been recognized ..read more

On September 19, the American Library Association (ALA) announced findings that challenges to books and other library materials and services are on pace to set a record for the third straight year in 2023. The release reads, in part: ALA has released new preliminary data documenting a continued uptick in attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries during the first eight months in 2023. Between January 1 and August 31, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services. Those challenges included 1 ..read more