This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials. Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.
The theme for Banned Books Week 2024 is “Freed Between the Lines.” We can find freedom in the pages of a book — but book bans and censorship threaten that freedom, along with many other rights and institutions. During Banned Books Week 2024 and beyond, let’s share our love of right to read and the freedom found in books. Let’s be Freed Between the Lines!
The American Library Association (ALA) 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources in 2023. The number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by ALA in more than 20 years of tracking. Of the record 4,240 unique titles targeted for censorship, the most challenged and reasons cited for censoring the books are listed below:
