Book bans continue to rise in US public schools, libraries: 'Attacks on our freedom'

In the past school year, many schools and libraries all over the country faced more challenges about the books they offer than ever before. This means that some people tried to stop or limit access to certain books. Reports released recently have shown this increase in book challenges.

This problem of book challenges is not new, but it has gotten worse in the United States since 2021. Most of the books being targeted are written by or are about people who are not white, who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, or who are women. These reports are from the American Library Association and PEN America, a group that supports free speech.

The reports from these organizations tell us that these challenges are happening because some people want to censor books. Unlike in the past, these efforts don't just focus on one book; they try to ban many books. These challenges are spreading because some groups are trying hard to stop certain books from being available, and some states are also making it easier for this to happen through new laws.
Book bans continue to rise in US public schools, libraries: 'Attacks on our freedom'
In the past two years, there have been many cases that have made the whole country notice this problem. Some people believe that banning books is an attack on students' freedom and their rights under the law. Teachers and librarians who have tried to protect access to these books have faced criticism and even threats.

Kasey Meehan, who works on the Freedom to Read project at PEN America, says that reading is important for kids. When children read about people who are different from them, it helps them understand and feel more for others. This makes them better at living in a diverse society like ours.

The American Library Association and PEN America found that the number of book challenges is growing quickly. In the first eight months of 2023, there were almost 700 attempts to ban library materials, including over 1,900 different books. This is 20% more than the year before. Usually, most challenges happen in schools, but now they are happening just as often in public libraries.

A challenge is when someone formally complains about a book and wants it removed because of its content. But the reports say that this is just a small part of the problem because not all incidents get reported.
Book bans continue to rise in US public schools, libraries: 'Attacks on our freedom'
PEN America found that book bans in public schools have been getting worse. In the last school year, from July 2022 to June 2023, there were more than 3,000 cases of books being banned in public schools and libraries. That's a 30% increase from the year before. Most of the banned books were written by or about women, people of color, or LGBTQ+ people. These books were often seen as "sexual" or "inappropriate" for certain ages.

Overall, more than 1,500 different book titles were removed in the last school year, and this happened in 153 school districts across 33 states. Florida had the highest number of book bans, followed by Texas, Missouri, Utah, and Pennsylvania.

Many of these challenges come from conservative groups that want to ban books across the country and have more control over what students can read in schools.

Some recent examples include a book called "Between the World and Me" being removed from a high school in South Carolina after students felt uncomfortable with it. In Texas, a teacher was removed from a classroom for letting students read a version of "The Diary of Anne Frank" that had some sexual content. And in Virginia, a library faced funding cuts because of complaints about books with LGBTQ+ characters.

The American Library Association has faced criticism too, with some communities canceling their membership because of their stance on book bans. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who works at the ALA, says that these attacks on our right to read should concern everyone who values freedom and our constitutional rights. Letting a small group of people decide what books we can read puts all our rights at risk. Please Share This Article 

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