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The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s (OIF) newly released censorship challenge numbers for 2023 show the national context

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Number of unique titles challenged in the U.S. by year. 2000: 378 challenges; 2005: 259 challenges; 2010: 262 challenges; 2015: 190 challenges; 2020: 223 challenges; 2021: 1,858 challenges; 2022: 2,571 challenges; 2023: 4,240 challenges.
We know many of you, our members, have been on the receiving end of book challenges or program challenges. Or you’ve read about the problems other libraries have faced. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s (OIF) newly released  show the national context: The number of titles targeted surged by 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by the association.

OIF’s tracking of these numbers, which include school and public libraries, offers an accurate picture of what’s happening in the United States. The new data shows efforts to censor 4,240 unique book titles* in schools and libraries. This tops the previous high from 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship.

OIF documented 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023. Four key trends emerged from the data gathered from 2023 censorship reports:

  • Pressure groups in 2023 focused on public libraries in addition to targeting school libraries. The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year; school libraries saw an 11 percent increase.
  • Groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens or hundreds at a time, drove this surge.
  • Titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts.
  • There were attempts to censor more than 100 titles in each of these 17 states: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. For a breakdown of censorship challenges by state, .

ALA will unveil its highly anticipated list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in the U.S. on Monday, April 8, which is Right to Read Day of , along with its full State of America’s Libraries Report.

In response to the surge of book challenges and efforts to restrict access to information, ALA launched , a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship. The coalition will mark its second anniversary during National Library Week.

Check out the resources for library workers, including a new, growing list of  to help you learn quickly about the books coming under fire.

Please continue to , and remember that OIF staff is available to provide consultation and assistance to anyone facing censorship challenges.
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* ALA compiles data on book challenges from reports filed with its Office for Intellectual Freedom by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States. Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the 2023 data compiled by ALA represents only a snapshot of book censorship throughout the year. A challenge to a book may be resolved in favor of retaining the book in the collection, or it can result in a book being restricted or withdrawn from the library.
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Posted on: March 15, 2024, 6:34 pm Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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