Censorship

Book honors, they’re coming. The 2022 titles longlisted for the National Book Award help kick things off and mock Newbery deliberations are in high gear. As for Banned Books Week, the not-a-celebration event drew plenty of announcements, commentary, and ongoing attention from our readers.

Demo Defense uses a web tutorial to walk librarians through reporting challenges and finding support, as well as to help the public donate to the organizations fighting against censorship.

As students seek out books that are currently being challenged and removed from shelves, librarians and their fellow educators can also point them to titles with censorship and book banning themes.

Former Katy, TX, student Cameron Samuels writes about their experience fighting book bans and rallying fellow students to join them.

The first comprehensive look at book bans in the 2021-22 school year breaks down the numbers by state, author, title, content, and legislative pressures. 

A “striking” illustration and a feature well of articles covering an unprecedented national wave of censorship were honored with 2023 Eddie and Ozzie Awards.

The organizations leading the fight for intellectual freedom need data, money, and locally led action—big and small—from people who support the right to read and access materials.

EveryLibrary Institute polled voters about book banning and dug into the numbers. For 75 percent of those surveyed, book banning will be an issue they take to the polls in November.

Ahead of Banned Books Week, which begins Sunday, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom released data on challenges from January to August of this year.