School Library Journal surveyed 720 school libraries about the impact of the coordinated censorship campaigns across the country on libraries and collection development decisions. The survey found that the efforts are more often attention-getting, high-visibility acts, e.g., yelling at a school board meeting and pushing for unilateral book removal rather than filing official challenges or following the formal process of reconsideration. Most of the challenges came from parents (80 percent), with teachers and administrators next at 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively. But the more insidious aspect of this movement to remove titles from school libraries is the lasting impact it has on collections going forward.
Yorio, K. (2022, Sept. 8). Censorship attempts will have long-lasting impact on school library collections, SLJ survey shows. School Library Journal.
https://www.slj.com/story/censorship-attempts-will-have-a-long-lasting-impact-on-school-library-collections-slj-survey-shows?fbclid=IwAR3_pDUy0ni_YAcVhvM270zYs1-fhDaqnfM7TEh9SwfqQCvv28fOVMjvlEk
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A new study from PEN also noted the increase in book banning, particularly for books on ethnicities and gender. The study noted the new sources of banning: social media and politicians.
Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students’ First Amendment Rights (April 2022). PEN. https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/
Reported in the Los Angeles Times: https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=7d6a2131-058f-416f-9065-14b0f9e8623e&fbclid=IwAR2CA00CcAn-7yYaKcuJUAdGvo_hz784iSSRVZHtuj4iqLnkrYEVOuABPn4
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