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2d ago

Book Bans Drop, Silent Censorship Grows as Banned Books Week Begins

Advocates say the fight has shifted to quieter removals that evade tracking.

Students in the library receive candy and red envelopes in a cultural celebration of the Lunar New Year at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 on February 02, 2022 in New York City. NYC schools were closed yesterday in observance of what is considered the most important day in the Chinese calendar with the start of the New Year. This event is not only relevant in Asia, but also in other countries where this Chinese tradition is respected and celebrated and is on the table to become the next US Federal Holiday. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
A selection of banned and challenged books are seen on a table as members of City Lit Theater Company read excerpts from them during Banned Books Week 2022, at the Lincoln Belmont branch of the Chicago Public Library on Sept. 22, 2022.
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Overview

  • PEN America reports 6,870 bans in the 2024–25 school year, down from a record 10,046 in 2023–24, as librarians and teachers increasingly self-censor to avoid conflict.
  • A Virginia review found over a third of school divisions keep no records of removals, and advocates describe off-the-books directives to quietly pull titles without due process.
  • Publishers and library groups are advancing freedom-to-read bills, introduced in 25 states with seven enacting protections in 2025, including antiretaliation measures for educators.
  • The ALA logged 821 censorship attempts in 2024 versus 1,247 the year prior, with 72% driven by pressure groups targeting works on LGBTQ identities and race, including All Boys Aren’t Blue and Gender Queer.
  • New York’s Legislature approved a Freedom to Read Act to standardize protections in schools, and supporters are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign it during Banned Books Week (Oct. 5–11).