Here we are again, another Banned Books Week. This year’s theme is “Censorship is so 1984.”
According to The American Library Association and Banned Books Week Coalition, “Current efforts to ban books and information held in schools, libraries, archives, and bookstores are a truth close to fiction – namely, the depiction of extreme censorship by an oppressive regime in George Orwell’s cautionary and prescient tale “1984”. The Banned Books Week 2025 theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.”
This year’s Banned Books Week honorary chair George Takei highlights the importance of access to diverse voices by sharing, “I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, then as a gay young man in the closet, I felt confused and hungry for understanding about myself and the world around me.”
There was a lot to unpack in reading this year’s book ban data. For instance:
In 2024, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 821 attempts to censor library materials and services. In those cases, 2,452 unique titles were challenged. Last year, ALA tracked 1,247 attempts with 4,240 unique titles challenged. Though the number of reports decreased in 2024, the number of documented attempts to censor books continues to far exceed the numbers prior to 2020.
And these numbers can be deceiving considering that The American Library Association believes that there may be contributing factors to the decrease in reports, such as:
Underreporting – Many book challenges are not publicly reported or covered by the press. In many cases, reporting censorship poses significant risk to a library worker’s professional livelihood and personal safety.
Censorship by Exclusion – This occurs when library workers are prohibited from purchasing books or required to place books in restricted or less accessible areas of the library due to fear of controversy.
Legislative restrictions – Several states have passed laws restricting the type of materials available in libraries and schools based on the ideas or topics addressed in the materials. Many of these laws require school districts to restrict or remove library materials that are broadly deemed to include “sexual content” or controversial themes, resulting in the removal of books with literary or educational merit from school libraries that include LGBTQ+ characters or themes, or the removal of books about race or racism and featuring characters of color.
Additionally, PEN America recorded the highest instances of book censorship in schools and the highest number of unique titles banned during the 2023-2024 school year – more than 4,000 unique titles were removed in over 10,000 instances of book bans.
It should be noted that the data shows most book censorship attempts are now originating from organized movements. Pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries. PEN America also tracked the influence of pressure groups, finding that they have undertaken efforts to remove materials in nearly every state.
If you’re interested in seeing the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024, I created a list in my Bookshop! There you can see the titles, and if you opt to buy any, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you, and you’ll help support independent bookstores in the United States!
If you want to learn more and take action, I highly recommend The American Library Association website.
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