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Organized Groups Dominate Book Challenges as U.S. Censorship Trends Evolve

The American Library Association reports a decline in total challenges but highlights a shift toward systematic censorship driven by groups and officials.

FILE - An LGBTQ+ related book is seen on shelf at Fabulosa Books a store in the Castro District of San Francisco on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Haven Daley,File)
FILE - A Banned Books Week display is at the Mott Haven branch of the New York Public Library in the Bronx borough of New York City on Saturday, October 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey,File)
FILE - Banned books are stacked at an exhibit at the American Library Association's annual conference, June 24, 2023, at McCormick Place in Chicago. (AP Photo/Claire Savage, File)
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Overview

  • Over 70% of book challenges in 2024 were initiated by organized groups and elected officials, not individual parents, according to the ALA's latest report.
  • George M. Johnson's 'All Boys Aren't Blue' was the most challenged book of 2024, reflecting ongoing targeting of LGBTQ+ themes in literature.
  • The total number of book challenges dropped to 821 in 2024 from 1,247 in 2023, though the intensity and organization of censorship efforts have increased.
  • Legislative restrictions in states like Texas, Florida, Iowa, and Utah are creating a chilling effect, with librarians exercising self-censorship to avoid legal risks.
  • Conservative groups such as Moms for Liberty play a significant role in driving book bans, distributing lists of titles they seek to remove from libraries.