On March 14, 2024, the American Library Association released data and statistics about book bans in the United States in 2023. The number of unique titles challenged shattered last year's records.
A record 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023, a 65% increase over the 2,571 unique titles targeted in 2022 and a staggering 128% increase over 2021 numbers.
47% of the books targeted for censorship were titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals.
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Unique titles targeted in 2022
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Unique titles targeted in 2023
ALA documented 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources in 2023.
Pressure groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens or hundreds at a time, drove a surge in the number of book titles challenged while keeping the number of challenges on par with the record-setting 1,269 challenges recorded in 2022.
The overwhelming swell of censorship attempts that once flooded school libraries has now also overtaken public libraries...
As challenges to books in school libraries rose dramatically in recent years, would-be censors often assured parents and school boards that students would have full access to the books at their public library. The dramatic increase in challenges to materials in public libraries last year proves that talking point to be false. Groups who had previously targeted materials in school libraries are now challenging the same titles in bulk at public libraries.
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46.2% of all book challenges occurred at public libraries in 2023.
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The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% in 2023.
Groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens or hundreds at a time, drove the 2023 surge. Multi-title challenges comprised about 89% of all book challenges in public libraries in 2023. In 2019, multi-title challenges made up only 5% of book challenges.
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2023“The reports from librarians and educators in the field make it clear that the organized campaigns to ban books isn’t over, and that we must all stand together to preserve our right to choose what we read. Each demand to ban a book is a demand to deny each person’s constitutionally protected right to choose and read books that raise important issues and lift up the voices of those who are often silenced. By joining initiatives like Unite Against Book Bans and other organizations that support libraries and schools, we can end this attack on essential community institutions and our civil liberties."
- Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
Read statements from Unite Against Book Bans' national coalition of partners:
What can you do about it?
JOIN the campaign. Already signed up? Help a friend or family member join.
REPORT CENSORSHIP. Reporting censorship and challenges to materials, resources, and services is vital to defending library resources and to protect against challenges before they happen.
MAKE A PLAN to attend your library or school board meeting. Most book ban battles are being fought on the local level, and attending these meetings is one of the most critical actions you can take to fend off book bans.
Use the Unite Against Book Bans ACTION TOOLKIT to organize your community against censorship and defend the freedom to read.
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Note: a previous version of one of these graphics incorrectly referenced the number of unique titles challenged in 2021 as 1,651. In fact, the actual number is 1,858 unique titles challenged. 1,651 is the number of unique titles challenged during the preliminary period between January 1 and August 31, 2022, originally reported in September 2022.
Data Metholodogy
ALA compiles data on book challenges from reports filed with its Office for Intellectual Freedom by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States. Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the 2022 data compiled by ALA represents a snapshot of book censorship throughout 2022. A challenge to a book may be resolved in favor of retaining the book in the collection, or it can result in a book being restricted or withdrawn from the library.