Banned Books Week was created in 1982 in response to the increasing number of books being challenged in schools, bookstores, and libraries. It was started by a coalition of concerned citizens to bring censorship to the attention of all Americans.
The Banned Books Week Coalition includes the American Library Association (ALA), American Booksellers Association, Association of University Presses, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Authors Guild, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), People for the American Way Foundation, Freedom to Read Foundation, Project Censored, Index on Censorship, PEN America, National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Coalition Against Censorship. It’s endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
During the 2022-2023 school year, PEN America tracked 1,477 instances of book bans affecting 874 unique titles. Increasingly, these book bans are targeting books featuring LGBTQIA+ themes or LGBTQIA+ characters, characters of color, and books on race and racism. In addition, books that touch on violence and abuse, health, and wellbeing, or include references to grief and death are being targeted. A long list of books covering a myriad of topics was removed “pending investigation.” A person or group has an issue with these books, but these issues have yet to be identified.
Of the 1,477 instances of book bans:
· 74% are connected to organized efforts from advocacy groups, elected officials, or enacted legislation.
· 58% of all advocacy-led book bans around the country are connected to the conservative group Moms for Liberty.
· 25% of individual book bans are connected to political pressure from elected or appointed officials.
· 31% of book bans are connected to newly enacted state laws in Florida, Utah, and Missouri.
Of the 874 titles:
· 44% include themes or instances of violence and physical abuse
· 38 % cover topics on health and wellbeing for students
· 30% are books that include instances of grief and death
· 30% include characters of color or discuss race and racism
· 26% present LGBTQIA+ characters or themes – transgender characters account for 8% of all books banned
· 24% detail sexual experiences between characters
· 17% mention teenage pregnancy or abortion
Many categories overlap and categories of less than 10% are not reported.
Eleven of the 874 titles were banned in ten or more school districts. Of these eleven titles, ten of the eleven authors are women or non-binary individuals. Four of these authors are people of color and four authors are LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Book banning has a cumulative effect. Books banned and removed in prior years are still banned if they were not reinstated, but they will not appear on the list of bans or challenges for the current school year unless another school district bans them.
This means the list of banned books is growing.
Vague language in legislation gives decision makers wide latitude to declare a book unsuitable for a certain age group or to determine that the contents of the book are offensive. This vague language also muddies the water about what possible punishment teachers or librarians can face for having an objectionable book in their classroom or school library. Even the casual mention of a book title can be cause for disciplinary action.
Where do we go from here? Who is qualified to decide which books our children should have access to in schools and public libraries? Perhaps the people who went to school and earned degrees in education or library science should be trusted to know the answer.
As parents we can decide what is appropriate for our own children, but not all children. If a book is in the library that doesn’t mean your child has to read it. If you have a television in your home, that doesn’t mean your child has to watch everything that’s aired.
Frustrated teachers and librarians are leaving careers they love, and all our children are suffering. If you believe a book or topic is inappropriate for your child, please have that discussion with them, first. Listen to your children, let them know what you expect, and help them make good decisions.
Sources for this article:
https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10/archive