What say you? —-

Bookshelf Battles

New data from the American Library Association quantifies the growing efforts to ban books around the United States. A total of 4,240 titles were targeted for censorship at schools and libraries in 2023 — not only the biggest number ever recorded by the group, but also a whopping 65% spike from the year before.

By the numbers: The report found that 47% of the challenged books featured “the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals.” While these challenges happened around the country, a total of 17 states saw attempts to censor more than 100 different books — including Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Here’s more.

“An insult to the First Amendment”: For a personal take on this issue, look back at our interview with the author of one of the country’s most-banned titles, who shares the scary things that happen to writers when their books are challenged(especially when the basis of those challenges isn’t exactly accurate).

Go deeper: Schools and public libraries aren’t the only places this war is being waged. We’ve got a deep dive on why book bans are on the rise in prisons — and why that matters to everyone, even if you’ve never been behind bars yourself.

SOURCE: Wake-Up Call, 3.15.24, 5:23am