Current:Home > StocksNew censorship report finds that over 4,000 books were targeted in US libraries in 2023 -InvestSmart Insights
New censorship report finds that over 4,000 books were targeted in US libraries in 2023
View
Date:2025-04-22 07:40:38
NEW YORK— Bannings and attempted bannings of books soared again in the U.S. last year, continuing to set record highs, according to a new report from the American Library Association.
On Thursday, the ALA announced that 4,240 works in school and public libraries had been targeted in 2023, a substantial hike from the then-record 2,571 books in 2022 and the most the library association has tallied since it began keeping track more than 20 years ago.
As in recent years, many of the books being challenged — 47% — have LGBTQ and racial themes.
The number of separate challenges recorded by the ALA, 1,247, is actually down by 22 from last year. But efforts to censor dozens or even hundreds of books at a time have surged in Florida and Texas, among other states, reflecting the influence of such conservative organizations as Moms for Liberty and such websites as www.booklooks.org and www.ratedbooks.org.
"Each demand to ban a book is a demand to deny each person's constitutionally protected right to choose and read books that raise important issues and lift up the voices of those who are often silenced," Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, said in a statement.
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
Book bans are on the rise.What are the most banned books and why?
Caldwell-Stone said she was especially concerned about the rise in challenges at public libraries, now some 40% of overall challenges — more than double the percentage from 2022.
"We used to hear that when a book was removed from a school library that the child could still get it from the library in town," she said. "Now we're seeing the same groups turn around and demand the books be removed from the public libraries.
Authors of banned books speak up:'We can’t take these freedoms for granted'
Next month, the association will release its annual list of books most frequently challenged. Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir "Gender Queer" has topped the list for the past two years, with other criticized releases including Jonathan Evison's "Lawn Boy," Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye."
The ALA's numbers are based on media accounts and reports from librarians. The association has long believed that many challenges go uncounted, or that some books are pulled by librarians in anticipation of protests.
veryGood! (6657)
Related
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Four people killed in a house explosion in southwestern Missouri
- 'American Idol' judges reveal must-haves for Katy Perry's replacement after season finale
- Kandi Burruss Breaks Silence on Real Housewives of Atlanta's Major Cast Shakeup
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Pope Francis says social media can be alienating, making young people live in unreal world
- Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Step Out Together Amid Breakup Rumors
- Anne Hathaway's White-Hot Corset Gown Is From Gap—Yes, Really
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will drive pace for 2024 Indianapolis 500
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- NCAA lacrosse roundup: Notre Dame men, Northwestern women headline semifinal fields
- No TikTok? No problem. Here's why you shouldn't rush to buy your child a phone.
- Why Sam Taylor-Johnson Thinks Conversations About Relationship Age-Gaps Are Strange
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Moose kills Alaska man attempting to take photos of her newborn calves
- Mexican and Guatemalan presidents meet at border to discuss migration, security and development
- Kanye West, Billie Eilish and the Beatles highlight Apple Music 100 Best Albums Nos. 30-21
Recommendation
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Maryland ban on rifles known as assault weapons
Is that ‘Her’? OpenAI pauses a ChatGPT voice after some say it sounds like Scarlett Johansson
3 killed, 3 others wounded following 'chaotic' shooting in Ohio; suspect at large
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Scarlett Johansson Slams OpenAI for Using “Eerily Similar” Voice on ChatGPT’s Sky System
Videos show NASCAR stars Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch — and their crews — getting into fight at All-Star Race
Report: MLB investigating David Fletcher, former Shohei Ohtani teammate, for placing illegal bets