Document Type
Response or Comment
Publication Date
Fall 10-6-2023
Abstract
The first week of October each year is known as Banned Books Week. It is a time to bring awareness to the impact of banned books and to look at what has changed since the year prior. The American Library Association has reported that 2,571 individual titles were challenged in the year 2022, which is a 38% increase in challenges from 2021. The largest group of challengers are parents, followed by patrons and political parties. The two most targeted locations for banning books are public and school libraries. In the United States, Texas was the state with the highest number of challenged titles for the year 2022. From January 1 to August 31 of 2023, the American Library Association has seen a 20% increase in challenges when compared to the same reporting period from 2022. The increase is also seen in the running total of challenged titles. From the initial reporting period, 3,923 titles have been challenged this year. In 2022, the total for the entire year was only 2,571 titles. Texas is still the state with the highest number of challenged books this year.
Recommended Citation
ONU Institute for Civics and Public Policy; Robertson, Mackenzie; Browning, Julianna; Braun, Sophia; and Putnam, Madison; "Banned Books Awareness" (2023). Critical Questions. 30. https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/critical_questions/30