ALA report shows surge in book challenges

In the US, new data from the American Library Association (ALA) shows a continuing surge in attempts to censor books in libraries this year, reports Publishers Weekly.

The ALA documented 695 attempts to censor library materials and services in the year to 31 August, with the challenges related to 1915 titles. The number of challenges is up slightly on the 681 attempts recorded to the same point last year, however the number of unique titles challenged has grown 20% from 1651 last year.

The ALA said the growing number of unique titles challenged is the effect of organised political groups creating and sharing lists of books they consider objectionable. ‘The largest contributor to the rise in both the number of censorship attempts and the increase in titles challenged continues to be a single challenge by a person or group demanding the removal or restriction of multiple titles,’ the ALA said. ‘As in 2022, 9 in 10 of the overall number of books challenged were part of an attempt to censor multiple titles.’

ALA data shows that most of the challenges were to books ‘written by or about a person of colour or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community’. The data also showed that book challenges are moving from school to public libraries, which accounted for nearly half of documented challenges—up from 16% in the same period last year.

Category: International news