Attempted Book Bans Last Year Targeted More Than 4,240 Titles, an All-Time High – By Chris Walker (Truthout) / March 15, 2024
There is “absolute evidence” of an effort “to remove particular books,” an American Library Association official said.
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Anew report from the American Library Association (ALA) notes that there is “absolute evidence” that book bans have become increasingly organized, with bans skyrocketing in 2023 compared to prior years.
Around 4,240 individual book titles were challenged overall last year by parents, political groups and other individuals across the country — a 65 percent increase from the rate seen in 2022, when 2,571 titles were challenged.
According to the ALA report, public community libraries saw book challenges increase by 92 percent year-to-year, while school libraries saw an 11 percent increase. Books featuring LGBTQ and/or BIPOC characters made up nearly half (47 percent) of all challenges, according to the report.
