Recent preliminary research from two advocacy organizations shows that public schools and libraries in the U.S. are increasingly encountering challenges to books due to new state and local regulations that promote censorship of specific materials.

While the issue of book censorship is longstanding, the recent attempts to ban books have surged across the country following the COVID-19 pandemic, driven in part by conservative groups advocating for nationwide bans. On Monday, coinciding with Banned Books Week, PEN America and the American Library Association (ALA) released reports presenting differing statistics on recent and attempted book bans in the United States.

PEN America, which advocates for free speech, has noted that instances of book bans nearly tripled in the 2023-2024 academic year, totaling over 10,000 bans within public school systems. This follows their documentation of 3,362 instances of book bans during the previous school year (2022–2023).

“With 10,000 book bans and still counting in the 2023-2024 academic year, we need to recognize the damage that censorship inflicts on the students most impacted,” stated Sabrina Baeta, a researcher and advocate with PEN America, in a message to YSL News. “This Banned Books Week calls for us all to unite and say ‘No more’ to book bans.”

In contrast, the ALA, a prominent organization for librarians, reported a slowdown in book challenge occurrences. The ALA monitors efforts to censor books in public, school, and academic libraries, noting there were 414 attempts to censor library materials and services in the first eight months of 2024.

This figure shows a decline from the 695 challenges recorded during the same timeframe last year. However, the ALA pointed out that although the number of reported challenges has decreased, the “number of documented censorship attempts still greatly surpasses pre-2020 levels.”

Both PEN America and the ALA highlighted that their statistics may not fully capture the entire situation and that they only present “a snapshot of book censorship,” as many challenges go unreported.

“These figures represent a sample and do not constitute our final numbers. We are actively receiving more reports now that schools have reopened after Labor Day,” stated Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, to YSL News on Tuesday. “Regardless of the specific figures considered, we continue to see a significant demand for book censorship.”

Differing definitions of book bans from PEN America and the ALA

PEN America and the ALA employ different methods and definitions of “ban” and “challenge” when recording instances of book censorship. PEN America states it is the sole organization tracking book bans in schools nationwide, while the ALA documents challenges submitted against books in libraries.

Suzanne Trimel, a senior adviser for communications and media at PEN America, explained to YSL News that the organization monitors bans using school board meeting minutes, local news articles, and reports from various organizational partners. PEN America specifies that it does not track book challenges that do not result in an actual ban.

“A book challenge refers to any effort to restrict or remove a book based on objections to its content,” according to PEN America. “A book ban entails the actual removal or limitation of access to those materials.”

The ALA collects its data on book challenges from news articles and reports from library professionals, as indicated on their website.

“A challenge is an effort to remove or limit access to library materials or services based on objections from an individual or group,” according to the ALA’s website. “A book is considered banned when it is completely removed from a collection in response to an official or informal challenge.”

Recent book challenge trends echo past years

PEN America’s preliminary findings indicate that the profiles of book challengers during the 2023-2024 school year align with trends from prior years, in which books authored by or focusing on people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or women are frequently targeted. The organization also noted a growing incidence of challenges involving books that portray rape or sexual abuse.

“Similar to previous years, two main factors are driving the movement to ban books in schools: state legislation and the influence of groups promoting ‘parental rights’ advocacy, which supports censorship,” explains the PEN America report.

The significant upsurge in book challenges has largely been attributed to state laws that simplify the process of removing books from schools, often without due process or formal procedures.

Out of the 10,000 books banned, approximately 8,000 were reported in Florida and Iowa, as per PEN America.

According to the Des Moines Register, affiliated with the YSL News Network, Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed extensive education legislation in 2023 that mandates the removal of books depicting sexual acts and restricts discussions around LGBTQ+ topics. Following public record requests across all 325 school districts in Iowa, it was revealed that nearly 3,400 books were removed due to the ban before a federal ruling temporarily halted its enforcement in December 2023.

Florida also adopted legislation in 2023 aimed at restricting materials that portray “sexual conduct.” There, nearly 2,700 titles faced removal challenges in that year, marking it as the state with the highest number of challenged books, according to data released by the ALA in March.

However, school districts in Florida have subsequently encountered federal lawsuits, facing accusations.

This is an example of unconstitutional censorship. As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, which is part of the YSL News Network, a school board in Florida agreed to return previously banned books to library shelves as part of an out-of-court agreement made earlier this year.

American Library Association links decline in book bans to community responses

The American Library Association (ALA) has shared some initial findings in advance of Banned Books Week, indicating that “library employees nationwide are encountering a significant number of attempts to ban books.”

From January 1 to August 31, the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 414 attempts to impose censorship, which involved 1,128 different book titles. The ALA noted that these figures represent a decline compared to the same timeframe last year, during which 695 attempts and 1,915 titles were challenged.

The ALA also pointed out the issue of “soft censorship,” where books may be bought but are hidden away or kept in areas that are harder to access out of concern for possible challenges. Moreover, there are cases where books are removed or not acquired at all, even before any official bans are made.

Caldwell-Stone noted that there might be several reasons for the reported decrease in challenges, including collective efforts to combat “the wave of book banning” and positive outcomes in legal cases.

She acknowledged the contributions of local communities and activists who oppose censorship, emphasizing their role in “supporting library professionals and advocating for the protection of reading freedoms.”

“Particularly commendable is the courage exhibited by young people who are voicing their opinions at library and school board meetings, defending their essential right to read,” Caldwell-Stone remarked. “We are seeing a gradual, but notable shift in how we discuss books . We are beginning to understand that censorship poses a significant threat to everyone’s freedoms, and we do not want the government interfering with people’s choices on what to read or think.”

Contributing: Mike Trautmann, Des Moines Register; Douglas Soule, YSL News NETWORK-Florida