Reports say thousands of books ‘banned’ or ‘challenged.’ What does that mean?

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

ARE WE SEEING A SURGE IN BOOK BANS?

IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU GET YOUR DATA AND WHAT YOU DEFINE AS A ‘BAN’.

TWO REPORTS WERE RECENTLY RELEASED – AND OFFER DIFFERENT INSIGHTS ABOUT THE ONGOING BATTLE PLAYING OUT IN SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES. 

LET’S BEGIN WITH THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL LIST OF THE MOST “CHALLENGED BOOKS” OF 2023.

THE ALA SAYS IT DOCUMENTED MORE THAN 42-HUNDRED BOOK TITLES THAT WERE CHALLENGED FOR CENSORSHIP IN LIBRARIES – A 65% INCREASE FROM 2022.

THE ALA DEFINES “CHALLENGED” AS “AN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE OR RESTRICT ACCESS TO MATERIALS OR SERVICES BASED UPON THE OBJECTIONS OF A PERSON OR GROUP.” 

A CHALLENGED BOOK COULD BE RELOCATED TO THE ADULT SECTION, LABELED WITH A CONTENT WARNING, OR REQUIRE PARENTAL CONSENT TO CHECK OUT. HOWEVER, THE ALA REPORT DOESN’T ULTIMATELY SAY WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE BOOKS. 

SO WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY CHALLENGED BOOKS WERE REMOVED OR RESTRICTED.

THE ALA SAYS A BOOK IS “BANNED” ONLY WHEN IT IS ENTIRELY REMOVED FROM A LIBRARY’S COLLECTION.

IN A SEPARATE REPORT RELEASED BY PEN AMERICA – BANNED BOOKS ARE ADDRESSED.

THE FREE SPEECH ORGANIZATION FOUND MORE THAN 4300 BOOKS WERE QUOTE ‘BANNED’ FROM SCHOOLS ACROSS 23 STATES IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. 

PEN AMERICA DEFINES A BAN as any action taken against a book THE LEADS TO A BOOK’S ACCESS BEING DIMINISHED IN ANY FORM. 

PEN AMERICA GIVES THE EXAMPLE: If a book that was previously available to all now requires parental permission, or is restricted to a higher grade level than educators initially determined, that is a ban.

SEX IN BOOKS HAS COMMONLY BEEN USED AS GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL – AND BOTH REPORTS HIGHLIGHT THE CONCERNS FROM OBJECTORS – THE PEN AMERICA REPORT GOING SO FAR AS TO CHARACTERIZE THOSE CONCERNS AS QUOTE ‘INFLATED RHETORIC’. 

WHILE BOOK BANS ARE NOTHING NEW IN THE UNITED STATES – THE WAY THEY’RE BEING COVERED – AND THE DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A BAN ARE WORTH UNDERSTANDING AS MORE STATES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS NAVIGATE CHALLENGES FROM PARENTS AND ACTIVIST GROUPS.