According to a new report from the American Library Association, book banning is at an historical high in the Untied States.
In 2023, there were efforts to censor 4,240 different titles in schools and libraries nationwide, marking a 65 percent jump from the previous year. Meanwhile, as we know, there's a growing trend of book challenges happening in public libraries. Last year, the number of titles facing challenges in public libraries went up by 92 percent to 4,240, and there was an 11 percent increase in challenges in school libraries. As comparison, "only" 190 titles were challenged in 2015.
"I wake up every morning hoping this is over," ALA president Emily Drabinski, said in New York Times. "What I find striking is that this is still happening, and it's happening with more intensity."
States where there attempts to ban more than 100 books include: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
"The books being targeted again focus on LGBTQ+ and people of color," Drabinski said in a statement."Our communities and our country are stronger because of diversity. Libraries that reflect their communities' diversity promote learning and empathy that some people want to hide or eliminate."
