When concerned individuals object to the availability of certain books in a school or library, they present a complaint to the school board or library administration, calling for the removal of any materials deemed offensive. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom: 1.) the materials were considered 'sexually explicit”, 2.) the material contained 'offensive language”, 3.) the materials were considered 'unsuited to any age group' Oftentimes, book challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” content or “offensive” language. Since many of these challenge cases involved multiple book titles, 1,597 distinct books were contested in 2021. This figure is a significant jump from previous years where the group noted 156 challenges in 2020 and 377 challenge cases in 2019. The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom, which tracks book challenges and releases the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books” list each year, counted 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials in 2021. However, 2021 saw a record-breaking increase in the number of books being challenged, banned, or suppressed. Librarians have always been on the front lines of the fight to defend the right to read. As conservative groups lead historic efforts to challenge and ban academic materials that address racism, gender, politics, and sexual identity, libraries are being called to fight against censorship efforts in unprecedented waves. Over this past year, libraries have found themselves at the center of a culture war. Taking place September 18 th through September 24 th, Banned Books Week 2022 calls us to reflect on the violent dangers of censorship, and to acknowledge the importance of libraries in maintaining access to all narratives and ideas-even those considered controversial.ĭuring the week, libraries across the country celebrate the freedom to read while calling attention to continued efforts to ban books that feature the stories of people whose identities and viewpoints have traditionally been underrepresented, such as immigrants, refugees, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, or persons with disabilities. Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week was established in response to a rapid surge in book challenges across American academic institutions. Every year during the last week of September, libraries, schools, bookstores, museums, and other places around the world organize in celebration of Banned Books Week.

Banned books week