The Rise of Book Banning across Communities

In 2023 alone, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom found that there had been 1,247 attempts to censor books and other resources in libraries across America, which was a 65 percent increase from 2022. A total of 4,240 books were targeted, many of which contain LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC stories and experiences. From July 2021 to June 2022, PEN America recorded 1,648 book titles having been affected by book bans in American schools. Of these 1,648 books, 674 of these books (41 percent) “explicitly address LGBTQ+ themes or have protagonists or prominent secondary characters who are LGBTQ+.” In this same study, 659 of these books (40 percent) contain main or prominent characters of color and 338 (21 percent) directly address race issues and racism. 

Many of these banned books also comment on American and global society, whether that be historical books Maus by Art Spiegelman and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, or speculative, dystopian fiction novels like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

These book bannings originate from two primary places: parents and legislation. Oftentimes, they work hand in hand. Topics in books such as critical race theory and the LGBTQIA+ community have evoked political interference. States such as Oklahoma, Iowa, and Tennessee currently have legislation that limits or prohibits discussion of race in the classroom. For example, Florida is known for the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill which prohibits discussion of gender and gender identity in the classroom. In 2022, Patmos Library in Jamestown, Michigan was defunded after they refused to get rid of LGBTQIA+ books. In fact, the community of the town voted on it.

Some have argued that most of the banned books discussing stories of marginalized and oppressed groups within the United States could be a coincidence or that such themes are not appropriate for school-age children. However, PEN America estimates that at least 40 percent of a study of 1,109 banned books are connected to “proposed or enacted legislation” and/or to political pressure exerted by state officials or elected lawmakers to restrict the teaching or presence of certain books or concepts.”

The issue with the book bannings is that many people see them as an infringement of the First Amendment, which gives Americans the right to receive and spread information and ideas. This is why banning books in publicly funded libraries and schools is even more controversial as no private institution or individual has authority over it.

Some organizations and institutions have decided to combat book banning in very important ways. Popular bookseller, Barnes and Noble, has a list of banned books available for purchase on their website that is accompanied by a statement of importance. The American Library Association holds an annual ‘Banned Books Week’ which includes discussions from authors, activists, academics, and political/institutional community members. 

Most institutions of higher education, whether public or private, welcome books of all topics. Hope College itself does not have any restricted books based on the story contained in them, as expressed within their ‘Library Bill of Rights,’ which had been developed by the American Library Association. This statement highlights the responsibility of libraries not only to refuse partaking in the censorship of books and materials, but to also challenge it when suggested or requested. 

However, this is an issue that continues to occur throughout America, more and more each year. In April of 2024, PEN America reported that 4,000 instances had already occurred in the first half of the school year, which was more than the entire year of 2023. This is an issue that affects nearly every single state and has no plans of stopping any time soon.

(Featured image source: ilovelibraries website / American Library Association)