Where Can I Find Banned Book Lists?
- American Library Association Banned & Challenged BooksThe American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles annual lists of book challenges from reports filed by library professionals in the field, including school libraries and public libraries, and from news stories published throughout the United States.
- PEN America 2022-2023 Banned Book ListPEN America is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in literature and journalism. They compile lists of banned books in school libraries.
Library Bill of Rights
According to Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors, an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights:
- School and public libraries are charged with the mission of providing services and resources to meet the diverse interests and informational needs of the communities they serve.
- Libraries and their governing bodies shall ensure that only parents and guardians have the right and the responsibility to determine their children’s—and only their children’s—access to library resources.
- Libraries and their governing bodies have a legal and professional obligation to ensure that all members of the communities they serve have free and equitable access to a diverse range of library resources and services that is inclusive, regardless of content, approach, or format.
Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.
Book Challenge Statistics
Source: "Free Downloads", American Library Association, January 3, 2013. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/freedownloads
Source: American Library Association 2024 Preliminary Book Ban Data https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data
Banned vs. Challenged Books
What is a Challenge?
An attempt to remove or restrict materials due to the content, based upon the objections of a person or group.
What is a Ban?
The removal of materials from a collection in response to a formal or informal challenge.
Why does this matter?
A challenge may result in access to a title being restricted or withdrawn completely. Restrictions could mean that the book is relocated to a different section of the library, labeled with a prejudicial content warning, or it being removed from being freely browsable in the stacks or catalog.
A challenge is not simply a person expressing their point of view, but an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, and therefore restricting the access of others.
Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.
Source: "Banned Book FAQ", American Library Association, October 25, 2016. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned-books-qa
Why Are Books Banned?
There is a long history of books being challenged and banned due to the content on their pages. As noted by the ALA, book challenges have exponentially grown since 2020. These are increasingly focused on an evolving array of subjects, themes, and identities including U.S. history, race and diversity, social emotional learning, LGBTQ+ identities, and sex education. In 2023, ALA reports titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47 percent of those targeted in censorship attempts.
Reasoning cited by ALA for their Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023:
- LGBTQIA+ content
- Sexually explicit or sex education
- Rape or incest
- Drugs
- Profanity
- EDI content (equity, diversity & inclusion)
Reports from PEN America show subject matter most commonly cited for school book ban challenges:
Ask a Librarian
Reporters with questions about the Library’s Banned Book Initiative, please contact Library Communications at lib-comms@lib.uchicago.edu
Banned Books Resources
- Banned Books Week Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.
- Unite Against Book Bans Unite Against Book Bans is a national initiative organized by the American Library Association to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship.
The Fight Against Book Bans by
Book bans and challenges frequently make the news, but when the reporting ends, how do we put them in context? The Fight against Book Bans captures the views of dozens of librarians and library science professors regarding the recent flood of book challenges across the United States, gathered in a comprehensive analysis of their impact and significance. It also serves as a guide to responding to challenges. Chapter authors provide first-hand accounts of facing book challenges and describe how they have prepared for challenges, overcome opposition to certain books, and shown the value of specific library materials. Library science faculty with a range of specialties provide relevant background information to bolster these on-the-ground views. Together, the chapters both articulate the importance of intellectual freedom and demonstrate how to convey that significance to others in the community with passion and wisdom. This volume provides a timely and thorough overview of the complex issues surrounding the ongoing spate of book challenges faced by public and school libraries.
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Call Number: Z658.U5F54 2023
Banned books : challenging our freedom to read by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Z658.U6 D69 2014
Resources on the History of Book Banning
Censorship by
First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
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Call Number: Z657.C422 2001 c.1
Silenced in the Library by
Censorship has been an ongoing phenomenon even in "the land of the free." This examination of banned books across U.S. history examines the motivations and effects of censorship, shows us how our view of right and wrong has evolved over the years, and helps readers to understand the tremendous importance of books and films in our society. Books ranging from classics such as A Farewell to Arms, Lord of the Rings, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Color Purple as well as best-selling books such as Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret, titles in the Harry Potter series, and various books by bestselling novelist Stephen King have all been on the banned books list. What was the content that got them banned, who wanted them banned, and did the ban have the desired effect of minimizing the number of people who read the title--or did it have the opposite effect, inadvertently creating an even larger readership for the book? Silenced in the Library: Banned Books in America provides a comprehensive examination of the challenges to major books as well as the final results of these selections being deemed "unfit for public consumption." Included in its discussion are explanations of the true nature of the objections along with the motives of the authors, publishers, and major proponents of the books. Content is organized based on why the books were banned, such as sexual content, drug use, or religious objections. This approach helps readers to see trends in how people have approached the challenge of evaluating what is "proper" and shows how our societal consensus of what is acceptable has evolved over the years. Readers will come away with a fuller appreciation of the immense power of words on a page--or an eReader device--to inflame and outrage, influence opinion, incite thought, and even change the course of history.
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Call Number: Z1019 .J37 2017
- A History of Censorship in the United States Article from the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, the official journal of the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), an office of the American Library Association.