Censorship/Book Bans
Censorship/Book Bans
News Stories From 2024 and Earlier
Censorship/
Book Bans
News Stories From 2024 and Earlier
Federal judge rules Arkansas law involving furnishing ‘obscene’ materials at libraries, bookstores is unconstitutional
December 23, 2024
A federal judge has struck down as unconstitutional two provisions of a state law aimed at criminalizing the furnishing of obscene materials to minors at public libraries and bookstores.
The law was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and others on behalf of a coalition of public libraries, booksellers, patrons of bookstores, boookseller associations and author associations.
“This ruling reaffirms what we have said all along — Act 372 is a dangerous and unconstitutional attack on free expression,” said John Williams, ACLU of Arkansas Legal Director. “Our libraries and bookstores are critical spaces for learning, exploration and connection. By striking down these provisions, the court has safeguarded the right of every Arkansan to access ideas and information without fear of censorship or prosecution.” Read More
New Jersey governor signs law blocking book bans
December 9, 2024
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed a law Monday prohibiting public schools and libraries from banning books and protecting librarians who obey state law.
Murphy’s signing of the Freedom to Read Act comes amid an ongoing push by conservative lawmakers and activists across the country to challenge books they consider inappropriate for minors, particularly those about LGBTQ issues and race. Lawmakers in at least 13 states this year have introduced legislation to disrupt library services or limit their materials, according to an NBC News tally.
“Across the nation, we have seen attempts to suppress and censor the stories and experiences of others,” Murphy said in a statement. “I’m proud to amplify the voices of our past and present, as there is no better way for our children to prepare for the future than to read freely.” Read More
New Michigan legislation would change how book bans work
November 12, 2024
A pair of bills in the Michigan House, introduced by Democrats, aim to make it more difficult to implement book bans in our state. The bills would set requirements before books could be removed from shelves at community and district libraries but not school libraries. Watch Here
Pine-Richland School Board rejects book for ninth graders, continues to debate a book policy during a heated meeting
November 12, 2024
Book bans in U.S. schools and libraries during the 2021-22 school year disproportionately targeted children’s books written by people of color – especially women of color – according to a peer-reviewed study we published. They also tended to feature characters of color.
In addition, we found book bans were more common in right-leaning counties that were becoming less conservative over time.
These findings were based on a comprehensive review of a then-record 2,532 bans that took effect in 32 states during the 2021-22 school year and compiled by PEN America, a nonprofit that defends the freedom of expression. The bans involved 1,643 unique book titles. We combined this with data on counties, sales of restricted books and author demographics.
While much has been written about the rise in book bans, there has been little empirical work done on their content, causes and consequences. Read More
Independence Law Center investigation: A look at the legality of school policies the firm helps to write
November 8, 2024
WGAL is continuing our investigation into the Independence Law Center – a religious rights law firm that helps school boards write policies many find controversial.
News 8’s McKenna Alexander has spent the past seven months taking a closer look at the firm to learn if there’s a risk behind its representation.
In the first part of this investigation, which is here, we learned about the ILC’s affiliation web and how it’s quickly become a staple among school boards in the Susquehanna Valley.
That’s in part due to a political action committee that encouraged its endorsed candidates to consider contracting the law firm. Read More
EveryLibrary Warns that U.S. Election Results Mean More Uncertainty for Libraries
November 3, 2024
Florida topped every state in the nation for the number of books removed from school libraries during the 2023-2024 school year.
That’s 4,500 books from July 2023 to June 2024, according to an annual report from PEN America, a nonprofit advocating for freedom of expression.
That represents nearly half of the nationwide removals, which numbered 10,064. Iowa, which removed more than 3,600 books, was next closest to Florida. Read More
PEN America: Florida removed more library books than any state last year
November 3, 2024
Florida topped every state in the nation for the number of books removed from school libraries during the 2023-2024 school year.
That’s 4,500 books from July 2023 to June 2024, according to an annual report from PEN America, a nonprofit advocating for freedom of expression.
That represents nearly half of the nationwide removals, which numbered 10,064. Iowa, which removed more than 3,600 books, was next closest to Florida. Read More
October 19, 2024
When I was in practice as a pediatrician, I wrote daily prescriptions for reading. I had an actual notepad to help me prescribe books to families of young infants and toddlers. On that pad, I would write things like “read to your baby for 20 minutes,” and along with that prescription I’d give that family an age- and language-appropriate book to read together. I did this because I knew, as pediatricians and family practitioners who continue this practice across the country know, that stories are good medicine.
Reading aloud, or being read to, bonds families together—it promotes attachment. Children who are read to produce and understand language better and become better readers later in life. Read More
October 10, 2024
Rosalie Stewart is the Anti–Book Banning Public Policy Manager at Penguin Random House | Slate
America’s biggest publisher just hired a lobbyist to fight book banning. She’s got a plan.
Researchers at Steinhardt Examine the Effect of Book Bans on Public Education | Washington Square News
The NYU-led study consisted of dozens of teacher and parent interviews aimed at assessing the impact of legislative book bans on students’ quality of life at public schools in Florida.
Removing Books From Libraries Often Takes Debate. But There’s a Quieter Way. | New York Times
Weeding, or culling old, damaged, or outdated books, is standard practice in libraries. But in some cases, it is being used to remove books because of the viewpoint they express. Read More
October 10, 2024
Unite Against Book Bans is a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship.
We are not alone. On both sides of the aisle, large majorities of voters and parents oppose book bans. And yet, attempts to ban books from libraries continue to rise at an unprecedented level across the country. The American Library Association reported 1,247 attempts to censor library books and resources in 2023, primarily driven by efforts of pressure groups to censor multiple titles at a time in public and school libraries.
Book bans harm communities.
Students cannot access critical information to help them understand themselves and the world around them. Read More
October 3, 2024
Sydney Vincent is a graduate of the Lehighton Area School District and a lover of books. So when she heard of a potential book ban in her community, she jumped into action.
Growing up in the Lehighton Area School District in Carbon County, Sydney Vincent was a voracious reader.
The 2019 graduate said she found a lot of escapism in books. So when Vincent found out from her former English teacher that her alma mater’s school board was talking about a book ban, she knew she had to get involved.
“I want to make sure the kids are able to access all kinds of books,” Vincent said. “A book ban strips kids of their privacy and their own personal interests.” Read More
September 24, 2024
The number of books banned in public schools over the past year skyrocketed to more than 10,000, with two states — Iowa and Florida — responsible for most of them, according to preliminary findings released by PEN America on Monday.
The report comes during Banned Books Week, which first began in 1982 to raise awareness about the importance of free and openly accessible information.
The rise in banned books during the 2023-’24 school year — nearly tripling from 3,362 bans PEN recorded the previous year — can be attributed partly to the singling out of books about romance and women’s sexual experiences and those about rape or sexual abuse, according to PEN America, a nonprofit advocating for the protection of free expression. Read More
September 23, 2024
States and local governments are banning books at rates far higher than before the pandemic, according to preliminary data released by two advocacy groups on Monday.
Books have been challenged and removed from schools and libraries for decades, but around 2021, these instances began to skyrocket, fanned by a network of conservative groups and the spread on social media of lists of titles some considered objectionable.
Free speech advocates who track this issue say that in the past year, newly implemented state legislation has been a significant driver of challenges. Read More
September 21, 2024
In celebration of Banned Books Week this year, the Bucks County Free Library is inviting patrons to visit its seven branches this week to learn more about controversial titles and the freedom to read.
Banned Books Week is an annual censorship-awareness campaign promoted by the American Library Association dating back to 1982. Librarians, teachers, authors and booksellers across the country spend the last week of September — sometimes the first week of October — promoting “shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas,” according to information on www.bannedbooksweek,org. Read More
September 20, 2024
Banned Books Week, recognized each September, was founded by library activist Judith Krug in 1982 as a protest to the increase in censorship of literature. Krug believed that bans on books massively violated the First Amendment, freedom of speech.
Books are typically banned from schools and libraries for including content that contains “graphic violence, expresses disrespect for parents and family, is sexually explicit, exalts evil, lacks literary merit, is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes offensive language,” according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. Books are also often removed due to sexual orientation and race related topics. Read ore
September 2024
Censorship has swept the United States in the past several years, with more than 10,000 book bans since PEN America began tracking them in 2021 in our Banned in the USA reports. Dozens of states have passed or debated laws that restrict the freedom to read, leaving teachers and librarians feeling pressure to limit children’s access to information. Here are five things you can do TODAY to fight book bans in your community and beyond. Read More
August 30, 2024
Several top-selling authors and major publishing companies are now suing the state of Florida over a controversial law that led to the banning of hundreds of books. Cristian Benavides has details. Watch Now
August 26, 2024
In July of 2022, Louisiana school librarian Amanda Jones attended a meeting of her local library board and spoke out against attempts to remove books from her local public library system.
“No one on the right side of history has ever been on the side of censorship and hiding books,” Jones told board members that day. “In the words of author Stephen Chbosky: ‘Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.’” Read More
August 16, 2024
Two former Lancaster residents are holding the first screenings, through today, Monday, Aug. 19, in Lancaster of their just-completed documentary about book bans and school curriculum censorship.
Jennifer Dumas Wiggin and Tom Wiggin have returned to their former home city to be part of a discussion panel after screenings of their film “Banned Together.” The remaining free screenings is at 6:30 p.m. today, Monday, Aug. 19, at Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse. Read More
August 6, 2024
In U.S. classrooms and libraries, a coordinated attack on students’ right to learn is underway.
Since January 2021, 44 states have introduced bills or taken other steps to restrict how teachers can teach about racism and sexism in the classroom. These unlawful efforts impact students as young as five or six, and exist throughout the education system, reaching high school students and those at higher education institutions. In addition to censoring classroom conversations, lawmakers and school boards have also enacted sweeping book bans that further restrict access to diverse viewpoints.
The ACLU has challenged classroom censorship laws and book bans nationwide as part of its broader efforts to defend education equity. Read More
July 30, 2024
Casting shadows over both public and school libraries, book bans have hit record numbers and continue to trend upward. But education experts say that despite these “bleak” realities, the power to preserve literary freedom still remains in the hands of concerned parents, kids and educators.
On July 10, children marched across the campus of South Carolina State University in a protest against book bans. A part of the “Why Not Young Lives” summer program, the children joined the chorus of voices from citizens across the nation pushing back against literary suppression. Research and legal experts say this community resistance, along with legislative initiatives in states like Illinois and Minnesota to ban book bans, illustrate the rocky state of literary rights. Read More
July 1, 2024
Freedom to read tops the list of librarians’ priorities, and the American Library Association’s 2024 conference emphasized the existential threats posed by book bans and the populist undermining of public institutions and trust. A Rally for the Right to Read, panels to counteract the censorship of diverse voices, and featured speakers including MSNBC journalist Ali Velshi (Small Acts of Courage), Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander (The Crossover), and Golden Globe-winning actor and picture book author Taraji P. Henson (You Can Be a Good Friend [No Matter What]) reinforced a message of solidarity and diversity.
A Rally for the Right to Read, a showcase for the Intellectual Freedom Awards headlined by keynote speaker Hanif Abdurraqib (There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension), took place June 28. Read More
June 26, 2024
More than half of Black voters in Pennsylvania oppose banning books from public school libraries and most want African American history taught in schools, according to a recent exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll.
Almost 70% of the 500 voters polled said they opposed or strongly opposed banning certain kinds of books in schools, while about 96% of voters polled said they supported teaching African American history in schools.
The USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll was conducted in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two key swing states in the Presidential Election, and focused specifically on Black registered voters to find the issues important to them in the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Read More
June 23, 2024
Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill prohibiting book bans in libraries on May 17 which will take effect August 1.
The law, known as the Access to Library Materials and Rights Protection, prevents public libraries, University libraries and libraries in public and charter schools from removing reading material based on messages or opinions the book conveys, the law says.
“Books are powerful, they open new worlds and expose us to new perspectives,” Walz said in a May 17 press release. “Protecting access to books means protecting access to the information and knowledge that our kids deserve. If you’re banning books, you’re always on the wrong side of history.”
The statute also mandates every library have its own policy for removing books and challenged books must be reported to the Department of Education, Minnesota Library Association Legislative Co-Chair Sarah Hawkins said. Read More
June 14, 2024
In direct conflict with Souderton Area School District Policy 706.1, Disposal of School District Property, the Republican controlled school board directors quietly disposed of 3,224 books from the high school library in June 2023.
What used to be called the library is now referred to as the “Career and Collaboration Center,” and photos of the space show empty book shelves.
In a Right-to-Know, The Bucks County Beacon asked the school district how many books had been removed from the library in 2023, where the books went, were weeding lists ever presented for a vote at any board meetings as is required by Policy 706.1, and were any of the books removed replaced with e-editions. Read More
June 4, 2024
As a record number of school districts face bans on certain books and lawmakers enact measures that limit what can be taught about race and sexual identity in the classroom, some states are moving to counter the measures with laws that prohibit banning books.
Last month, Minnesota became the latest state to implement restrictions on banning books from public libraries, including those in K-12 public schools and colleges.
Minnesota joins Illinois and Maryland, which passed a similar measure in April. The laws also follow other efforts to push back on book bans in school districts in states such as Florida.
There were more than 4,300 book bans across 23 states and 52 public school districts from July 2023 to December 2023, according to a report from PEN America, a nonprofit organization that fights to protect free speech and expression. Read More
June 3, 2024
Last year, when states were introducing a raft of legislation that would effectively take books off the shelves, librarians at Harris County (Tex.) Public Library (HCPL) knew they wanted to take a stand.
Texas House Bill 900, which would have restricted materials in school libraries and required vendors to assign book ratings based on so-called appropriateness before selling them to schools, had just been signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in June and was set to go into effect September 1, 2023. (On September 19, the bill was temporarily blocked by US District Judge Alan D. Albright. In January, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision to prohibit the Texas Education Agency from forcing vendors to rate books, but the library standards outlined in the bill—which prohibit school districts from possessing or purchasing books with “harmful material”—remain.) Read More
June 3, 2024
In Lancaster County, a former middle school librarian is being nationally recognized for his courage and commitment to intellectual freedom after he left Donegal School District in defiance of a policy that requires students to get parental consent before accessing young adult books.
Matthew Good is no stranger to rows of books and the controversy that sometimes finds a home among these spines. “Back there in this corner, these books are about libraries, the destruction of libraries and books. In this day and age, there is a lot of stories that people, for whatever reason, don’t want others to be able to access,” Good said. Read More
May 31, 2024
Tennesseans sought to remove hundreds of books from library shelves in 2023, many of them containing LGTBQ+ characters or themes. But some activists and librarians are fighting to keep them in circulation.
Across the country, book bans are on the rise. The American Library Association recorded the highest number titles challenged since it began recording them more than 20 years ago. Nationwide, nearly half of the books targeted for restriction included the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people or people of color. In Tennessee, the organization reported 21 attempts to challenge books in 2023, targeting 350 unique books. Read More
May 28, 2024
Pennridge School District engaged in a massive two-year cover-up of a secret book-banning campaign initiated by two sitting Republican school board directors hellbent on unilaterally purging books without any due process, community input, oversight, or accountability.
According to a sworn Attestation from new Superintendent Angelo Berrios, Ricki Chaikin and Jordan Blomgren ordered school staff to remove books from the library that they had unilaterally deemed were inappropriate. More so, during legal battles over a Right-to-Know request, Pennridge’s law firm, Eckert Seamans, fought to circumvent the state’s Open Records laws and conceal book removals from the public. Read More
May 16, 2024
Organizations file federal complaints against the Cobb County, GA, and Moore County, NC, schools; Alabama bill to criminalize librarians for “obscene” content fails in state’s senate; and advocates file lawsuit against Alabama public library board for restricting materials.
Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Georgia County Schools Over Book Ban | 11 Alive.
The National Women’s Law Center is taking aim at Cobb County (GA) Schools over the district’s decision to remove four books from school libraries: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Lucky by Marissa Stapley, and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Read More
May 7, 2024
There’s a debate in the Warwick School District in Lancaster County over who should decide what students can read.
Dozens of people came out to a school board meeting on Tuesday.
“I think it is embarrassing that we are at this point as a community,” parent Alicia Albright said.
“Here in Warwick, we have a big battle ahead of us,” parent James Senft said.
The concern was the result of the board considering a change in the district’s current library policy. Right now, the decision about which books are available in school libraries is overseen by a review committee. Read More
May 6, 2024
In recent years, the removal or restriction of books from public school libraries—sometimes referred to as “book bans”—has sparked intense debate across the educational landscape, igniting discussions about censorship, intellectual freedom and the role of literature in shaping children’s educational experiences. From classic novels to contemporary works, various titles have found themselves at the center of controversy. These bans, often initiated by concerned parents, administrators or community members, raise important questions about the boundaries of educational content, the protection of diverse perspectives and the fundamental rights of students to access information and ideas. Read More
May 2, 2024
Private schools can reject disabled applicants, expel LGBTQ students, and teach creationism all they want—even though hundreds of millions of public dollars flow to them every year.
In Pennsylvania, as anywhere else in America, private schools can do pretty much whatever they want. They can refuse to accept disabled or LGBTQ applicants. They can expel students for getting pregnant and even for merely having LGBTQ friends outside of school. At the same time, they can require applicants’ families to attend church, not to mention teach students that God created the universe in six days. Read More
May 2, 2024
Samira Ahmed, an author of young adult and middle-grade literature, never expected to hire security for events, travel under an alias or face cancellations at schools and libraries.
Ahmed told ABC News she faces threats and book bans over her novels – including “Internment” and “Hollow Fires” – which have caused a firestorm of criticism for tackling complex issues about race, oppression and politics. Read More
April 30, 2024
Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for proposed book bans in academic libraries and public schools.
This is a story about reading, but let’s start with some math: 644.
That’s the number of book bans in Pennsylvania public school districts between July 2021 and June 2023. Read More
April 22, 2024
As a queer and out youth, Shae Ross was alarmed when she heard that conservative groups were organizing in her community to ban books dealing with sexuality, gender and race. So she and her friends got organized themselves, and helped persuade their school board to make it much harder to remove books and other materials from their libraries and classrooms. Read More
April 22, 2024
Nikkolas Smith knows a thing or two about book bans. The illustrator has created five picture books over the last three years—four of which have been yanked off library shelves. There’s I am Ruby Bridges, about the civil rights icon; That Flag about the confederate flag; Born on the Water, which explores slavery; and The Artivist which features a child supporting trans kids. Read More
April 20, 2024
As the granddaughter of a librarian and a lifelong reader, I sometimes joke that loving libraries is in my blood. To me, library workers have always been a type of hero. Even if my grandma hadn’t been one, I suspect I would have grown up revering them anyway; they’re stewards of some of the world’s most valuable resources. Information. Imagination. Ideas.
I had a unique opportunity to appreciate librarians earlier this year, at LibLearnX: an annual professional development event the American Library Association hosts in different cities each year. Read More
April 19, 2024
Several big publishing houses have joined Penguin Random House along with renowned authors in a federal lawsuit suing Iowa over a state law that bans certain books in schools and restricts teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity. Read More
April 17, 2024
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Tuesday that will make it harder for some people to ban books in the state’s public schools.
The new law, part of the wide-ranging education bill HB 1285, will cap the number of challenges on school materials that an individual can make per year, if they do not have a student enrolled in that district. Read More
April 16, 2024
The number of individual books banned by schools is soaring to a record level, according to a new PEN America report Banned in the USA: Narrating the Crisis. The report documents over 4,000 instances of book banning during the first half of the current school year – more than in the entire previous 2022-2023 school year. Read More
April 16, 2024
Book bans in public schools continued to surge in the first half of this school year, according to a report released on Tuesday by PEN America, a free speech organization.
From July to December 2023, PEN found that more than 4,300 books were removed from schools across 23 states — a figure that surpassed the number of bans from the entire previous academic year. Read More
April 13, 2024
“Push” by Sapphire will remain on library shelves at Nazareth Area High School for the time being, despite some district parents and even school directors taking issue with the book’s content.
“I wouldn’t want this in my house. I wouldn’t want my kids reading this,” said School Director Jodi Mammana at a recent meeting. Read More
April 12, 2024
As libraries across Western Pennsylvania continue to receive pushes to remove books from their shelves, a panel discussion at the Greensburg YWCA on Thursday night dove into the impacts of book bans.
The event, titled “What do we lose by banning books,” drew nearly 20 people from across Westmoreland County who conversed with a panel of local academics, delving into the complications of book bans and the impacts they have on young people and society. Read More
April 11, 2024
Pennsylvania saw the second-most individual attempts to limit access to certain books in 2023, according to the nonprofit American Library Association.
The association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recently released data that showed the Keystone State tied with California for book challenges across a variety of venues at 52. Illinois experienced the most with 69. Read More
April 10, 2024
More Democratic-leaning states are seeking to curb or prohibit book bans as a counter to the wave of curriculum and media censorship that has spread across the nation in recent years.
Illinois became the first state to outlaw book bans in June, and California followed suit shortly after. Other states considering similar bills include Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and, most recently, Maryland. Read More
April 9, 2024
When an illustrated edition of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was released in 2019, educators in Clayton, Missouri needed little debate before deciding to keep copies in high school libraries. The book is widely regarded as a classic work of dystopian literature about the oppression of women, and a graphic novel would help it reach teens who struggle with words alone. Read More
April 9, 2024
The Pine-Richland School District will keep more than a dozen books in its library after they were challenged by community members.
Superintendent Dr. Brian Miller said the district will keep all 14 books. Miller said he read all of the titles and they were reviewed by a 10-person committee. Read More
April 8, 2024
A Nobel Prize-winner’s debut novel and works about race and gender were among the books most targeted by ban campaigns last year.
“Gender Queer,” an autobiographical graphic novel written by nonbinary author Maia Kobabe, was the most challenged library book in 2023, according to a report released Monday by the American Library Association. Read More
April 8, 2024
The American Library Association (ALA) launched National Library Week with today’s release of its highly anticipated annual list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 and the State of America’s Libraries Report, which highlights the ways libraries and library workers have taken action to address community needs with innovative and critical services, as well as the challenges brought on by censorship attempts. Read More
March 20, 2024
It’s that time of year again: National Library Week! A time to celebrate the endless adventures that children can experience in books that are free and accessible to all, and the safe spaces that libraries provide for learning and creating a sense of community.
Or, it’s a time to reflect on how we got to a place where librarians are living in constant fear. They have become the targets of Republican politicians and far-right groups like Moms for Liberty that are hellbent on banning books about LGBTQ+ people, people of color and racism. Read More
March 20, 2024
Precedent hasn’t stopped book bans. The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that public school officials couldn’t remove books from school libraries just because they didn’t agree with the ideas in them. Kids, the justices affirmed, had some First Amendment rights too, including at school. Even so, several states have passed laws to restrict students’ access to books about sex, gender and sexual identity, and race, among other topics at issue. Read More
March 16, 2024
On Monday evening, the Bermudian Springs school board proposed a change to its Resource Materials Policy that would ban books that contain sexual content from district schools. The board also created a new committee to enforce the ban.
The new policy would ban books that contain references to “sexual intercourse, masturbation, sadism, masochism, bestiality, fellatio, cunnilingus, sodomy, exhibition of genitals or nudity if such nudity is depicted for the purpose of sexual stimulation or gratification, or any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts.” Read More
March 14, 2024
After several years of rising book bans, censorship efforts continued to surge last year, reaching the highest levels ever recorded by the American Library Association.
Last year, 4,240 individual titles were targeted for removal from libraries, up from 2,571 titles in 2022, according to a report released Thursday by the association. Read More
March 14, 2024
A record number of books were “targeted for censorship” in the United States in 2023, according to a study released Thursday from the American Library Association.
The organization representing libraries found efforts to ban 4,240 unique book titles in school and public libraries, a 65 percent increase from 2022. Read More
March 5, 2024
Former Central Bucks School Board members and officials allowed powerful law firm to over-charge on anti-LGBTQ discrimination lawsuit. A law firm connected to Bill McSwain, a former Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate and US Attorney, was paid $1.75 million by the Moms for Liberty-backed Central Bucks School Board to defend themselves against allegations of anti-LGBTQ discrimination, according to a report published by the Bucks County Courier Times. Read More
March 5, 2024
Should we worry, as massive book-banning efforts imply, that young people will be harmed by certain kinds of books? For over a decade and through hundreds of interviews, my colleague, literacy professor Peter Johnston, and I have studied how adolescents experience reading when they have unfettered access to young adult literature. Our findings suggest that many are helped rather than harmed by such reading. Read More
March 4, 2024
In 2021, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey found that more than one in 10 teenage girls reported having been raped—an estimated one million girls nationwide.
That same year, book bans in public school districts across the country took off with unprecedented magnitude and coordination. During that school year, PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans recorded 2,532 instances of book bans across 32 states and 138 public school districts. Read More
March 1, 2024
Librarians perceive the threat from the book-banning movement as so profound that they’re using the more expansive term “intellectual freedom challenges” instead.
Cities like Chicago and Hoboken, New Jersey, are also declaring themselves “Book Sanctuary Cities” where materials that are under attack are circulated and protected. Read More
February 26, 2024
Democratic lawmakers are looking to address the social media trolling and harassment that school librarians have faced amid calls in some New Jersey districts to ban or remove books from their library shelves.
A new state bill called “Freedom to Read Act” proposes that school boards be required to adopt policies governing material and its removal from school libraries. Read More
February 20, 2024
I’m often inspired by those younger than I who work tirelessly to help our country survive and thrive. But at 92, it’s not every day I find someone older who is such an inspiration. Grace Linn is a spry 101-year-old with strong opinions about what’s happening where she lives in Martin County, Florida. The school board there has been at the forefront of book bans in the state, removing more than 80 titles from county classrooms. Read More
February 20, 2024
Unite Against Book Bans, in collaboration with the publishing community, unveils a free collection of book résumés at bookresumes.uniteagainstbookbans.org to support librarians, educators, parents, students, and other community advocates in their efforts to keep frequently challenged books on shelves. Read More
February 20, 2024
When a parent came before the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Board of Education and read the most explicit passages of a sex education book titled Let’s Talk About It this past November, Martha Hickson stayed away. The veteran librarian of North Hunterdon High School in central New Jersey had spoken out against the removal of five books during the 2021-2022 school year. Read More
February 13, 2024
Khaled Hosseini, one of the world’s top authors, has slammed book bans in Florida and elsewhere in the US as a betrayal of students and their right to a good education. Read More
February 8, 2024
The American Civil Liberties Union thanks Rep. Maxwell Frost for introducing H.R. 6592, the Fight Book Bans Act. This legislation would fight censorship by enabling the Department of Education to provide grants to school districts to cover expenses incurred when they fight off book bans. In a letter sent to the House of Representatives, the ACLU is urging House members to co-sponsor the bill. Read More
January 29, 2024
In the far, far suburbs of Houston, Texas, three teenagers are talking at a coffee shop about a clandestine bookshelf in their public school classroom. It’s filled with books that have been challenged or banned. Read More
January 22, 2024
The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) have watched, with concern, the growing number of coordinated attempts of censorship and suppression in schools and libraries in New Jersey and across the country. Many of these attacks are targeting materials and programs that address race, racism, sexuality, and gender identity and expression. New Jersey school, public, and academic library workers are being defamed, harassed and threatened in public school board meetings, public library board of trustees meetings, on social media and on public media. Read More
January 21, 2024
Books “are disappearing” from K-12 classrooms and libraries across the country in an “unprecedented flood.” After reaching a record high in the 2021-22 school year, book bans increased another 33 percent last year, “supercharged” by “punitive state laws” and “local and national coordinated pressure campaigns.” This is despite opposition from roughly two-thirds of Americans. Read More
January 17, 2024
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a Texas law banning “sexually explicit” books from public schools likely violates the Constitution, partially upholding a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court. Read More
January 15, 2024
My oldest daughter once compared her elementary school librarian to a fairy godmother, bequeathing students magical books and offering them as an escape from the ordinary. Now, my daughter has two little girls of her own, who have been regulars at their local libraries since they were born and consider story hour sacred. Read More
January 12, 2024
Pequea Valley School District’s board voted 7-0 Thursday to put a new library policy in place, effective immediately, establishing criteria for how books are selected or removed from its libraries. Read More
January 10, 2024
A union-led lawsuit has achieved a temporary block on sweeping book bans, ensuring Iowa students still have the freedom to read.
Not long ago, a middle-school student walked into Iowa teacher Alyson Browder’s English classroom, lowered their voice, and said: “I heard you have…[pause]…LGBTQ books?” Read More
January 7, 2024
Michelle Jarrett was told not to speak. She spoke anyway.
Against the advice of her Florida district to stay home, Jarrett ventured to Atlanta in December to attend the SLJ Summit as part of the panel “Empowered in the Fight for Intellectual Freedom.” Read More
January 3, 2024
Illinois became the first state to prohibit book bans.
Amid the fiery debate about books in schools, here’s advice from librarians about how to identify Pa. policies that protect intellectual freedom. Read More
January 1, 2024
Illinois became the first state to prohibit book bans.
The law officially went into effect on Monday after Gov. JB Pritzker signed off on the law back in June. Read More
December 23, 2023
Almost half of books challenged at school are returned to shelves, but titles with LGBTQ characters, themes and stories are most likely to be banned, according to a Washington Post analysis of nearly 900 book objections nationwide. Read More
November 24, 2023
A federal judge determined a law banning hundreds of books, from “The Color Purple” to “1984,” from classrooms and libraries did not pass constitutional muster. Read More
November 24, 2023
Should parents influence what schools do? Of course they should. And any elected official who says otherwise is destined to lose. Read More
Moms for Liberty-endorsed school board candidates largely fell flat in elections across the country this month, signaling a rejection of book bans and culture wars in the sphere of education. Read More
Voters on Tuesday cast ballots for candidates for school boards in districts across the Lehigh Valley following a campaign season where debates over parental-choice policies at times took center stage. Read More
October is National Book Month, a celebration of the importance of reading. Yet, as we promote literacy and raise awareness about its significance as this month comes to a close, we are also confronting a troubling trend —a surge in book bans and other forms of censorship. These brazen attacks are taking place from the halls of Congress to the local book fair and have pervasive effects on all students throughout the nation. Read More
Most Democrats regarded Senate Bill 7 as a book ban, but Republicans said it would improve parental control over what their kids read. Read More
After several books recently were removed from the district’s shelves, the Blackhawk School Board is considering a policy that would ban certain books and resource materials. Read More
The Oxford Area School District finds itself in a similar situation as other school systems in the region, facing coordinated efforts to remove materials from libraries and curricula. Read More
Hempfield School District in Lancaster County is reviewing its policy on school library materials to restrict access to sexually explicit books and other resources. The proposed changes have caused a divide in the community. Read More
Moms for Liberty will hold its national summit June 29-July 2 in Philadelphia under the slogan “joyful warriors.” Whether sitting through warnings that communist teachers are using social and emotional learning to make “your kid a little sexual weirdo” or focusing on what they call gender ideology, M4L will celebrate what it takes joy in: banning books, attacking LGBTQ+ teens, and making threats. Read More
Three western Pennsylvania school districts are suing the state for requiring “culturally relevant and sustaining education.” Read More
Less than two years after Central York School District faced widespread criticism for banning books and other teaching materials, the district is again under fire for quietly removing another book from the high school library. Read More
Have you ever wanted to learn about a new topic, immerse yourself in an edge-of-a-seat mystery, or just escape into an imaginary world? Books, a universal piece of literature that have been here for millennia, are harborers of the beauties of words and stories. Read More
The Moon Township librarians rushed around the normally quiet library one December day locking the doors hours before closing. The phones relentlessly rang off the hook as callers on the other end threatened violence and called the librarians groomers and pedophiles. Eventually, the phones were disconnected. Read More
On the two year anniversary of the day when right-wing terrorist radicals attempted to overthrow American democracy, it seems fitting to talk a little bit about the groups across the country working to ensure democracy remains a fundamental right for every single person in this country. Read More
