The American Library Association published their 2025 State of American Libraries report. Some key topics were book banning and censorship (which is now mainly initiated by pressure groups and government officials), services to incarcerated people, advocacy, and libraries as literacy hubs.
State of American Libraries. (2026). ALA. https://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2026
A recent study "discusses how book bans are more than censorship—they’re legislated trauma. Drawing on critical race theory and trauma-informed research, the article shows how removing texts that reflect marginalized identities silences voices, erodes belonging, and inflicts harm on students’ well-being. By framing bans as microaggressions with lasting psychological and physical effects, [The author] reveals them as deliberate assaults on dignity, safety, and identity." (from ILA.org)
A recent study examined censorship of e-resources used by students for classroom research. It details the targeting of educational databases and the rise of legal challenges against libraries, reminding readers to look beyond the print books that are the tangible symbols of the freedom to read. False or unsubstantiated accusations of obscenity leveled at libraries foment fears of legal risk, sometimes resulting in the so-called soft censorship of e-resources, in which digital content providers or libraries apply system-wide filters and “stopwords” that block results from a user’s search.
Reed, M., & Halper, J. (2025). Neo-censorship in U.S. Libraries: An investigation into digital content suppression. Library Futures.
A small but mature body of literature around LGBTQ+ library collections is available to researchers and practitioners. Using a novel method – the parallel synthesis scoping review – the authors have incorporated artificial-intelligence-enabled topic modelling into the traditional scoping review method to explore the underlying factors influencing the collection of LGBTQ+ materials in libraries. Parallel synthesis led to a framework charting stakeholders against an Outreach ↔ Censorship Continuum. It includes 16 forms of censorship and outreach, and 8 underlying influences that encourage behaviors towards either censorship or outreach. The authors further find that the framework is a manifestation of a struggle between two competing visions of safe spaces, in which librarians have used many strategies to resist censorship and ensure that their collections provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ library patrons.
Morris, M., Stevens, G., & Siegal, J. (2025, Feb.). I can’t even read straight’: Exploring the influences on LGBTQ+ library collections through an artificial-intelligence-mediated parallel-synthesis-scoping-review approach. IFLA Journal. DOI: 10.1177/03400352241310614
A recent study examined self-censorship of controversial topics in collection development. Articles can be accessed for free at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.
In the recently published “To Add or Not to Add: An Examination of Self‐Censoring Behaviors among School Librarians,” Jennifer Moore and Alissa Tudor present a study examining collection development and self-censorship amongst school librarians. The researchers collected data via surveys, and examined which controversial or frequently challenged topics school librarians chose not to collect. This research found that amongst controversial topics, there were high amounts of self-censorship around books that dealt with sexual content, abortion, and self-harm. Respondents who had never experienced book challenges in their school libraries expressed reluctance to include books that involved sexual content and LGBTQ themes or content
Moore, J., & Tudor, A. (2024). To Add or not to add: An examination of self‐censoring behaviors among school librarians. School Library Research.
A series of studies assessed parental perceptions of libraries and librarians. The results showed that the vast majority of parents trust librarians and do not think book banning is appropriate. School librarians were deemed as “essential” staff in a school, and parents felt their students were not only safe in school libraries but that the professionals were well-suited to selecting age- and content- appropriate material. School librarians (as well as their peers in public libraries) were ranked among the top five most trustworthy professionals. New national research further supports the fact that most Americans disagree with banning and restricting access to books in school libraries.
Knight Foundation. (2024). American's views on book restrictions in U.S. public schools 2024. Knight Foundation.
https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Americans-Views-on-Book-Restrictions-in-U.S.-Public-Schools-2024.pdf
A recent study reflected on the nearly 6,000 book bans in public schools documented from July 2021 to June 2023. The study illustrates the spread of copycat book bans and an apparent “Scarlet Letter” effect, where several works from an author’s catalog were subsequently targeted after at least one of their works was banned.
PEN. (2023). Banned in the US: The growing movement to censor books in schools. PEN.
https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/
Book censorship requests in US public schools and libraries surged to a 21-year high in 2022, with a 70% increase over the previous year, according to the American Library Association. The data reveals a new trend of multiple book titles being targeted in each challenge, often driven by organized political advocacy groups seeking to ban books, particularly those featuring LGBTQ+ themes and diverse perspectives.
Censorship by the numbers. (2023). American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/by-the-numbers
According to a national survey, the surge in book challenges nationwide is having a chilling effect on school librarians, who are more likely to avoid buying books or to remove titles from collections because of their content than they were last year. "And while the percentage of U.S. librarians who have experienced a book challenge dropped from 43 percent to 38 percent, 30 percent of those challenges led to a book’s removal in 2023, up from 19 percent last year. Urban school librarians were the only segment to report a rise in book challenges, from 31 percent in 2022 to 39 percent this year.
Perhaps in response to the spike in challenges, 55 percent of respondents said their school’s book challenge procedure was new or revised, an increase from 49 percent in 2022.
The number of librarians who voluntarily removed books from their library also rose, from 42 percent in 2022 to 47 percent in 2023.
All 729 respondents are responsible for selecting books for their library. Their most cited reason for choosing not to buy a book was sexual content, especially at the high school level—increasing from 60 percent in 2022 to 75 percent in 2023. As for other concerns, 43 percent said profanity or vulgar language caused them to reject a book, while 37 percent named LGBTQIA+ content." School Library Journal
Controversial books survey. (2023). School Library Journal.
https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/Book-Challenges-Are-Having-a-Chilling-Effect-on-School-Librarians-Nationwide-SLJ-Survey
A national study of school libraries found that most school libraries have some controversial titles, but the collection reflects local politics and policy makers. There continues to be a gap in library resources between schools in low- and high-income communities, which may affect students in ways not reflected in test scores, including by exposing children to stories that expand their horizons or affirm their lived experiences.
Mumma, K. (2023). Politics and children's books: Evidence from school library collections. Boston College. https://wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality-education/school-libraries/
https://wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality-education/school-libraries/: "This study begins by compiling a novel data set on the books in over 6,000 school libraries across the country. With this unique look inside school library shelves, the author then details some trends and themes related to the collections based on various characteristics, including for instance difference across high and low-income schools and the political leanings of surrounding areas.
Key Findings
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
ALA published “State of America’s Libraries Special Report: COVID-19,” which serves as “a snapshot of the library communities’ resilience, determination, and innovation in unprecedented circumstances. The State of America’s Libraries report is released annually during National Library Week, April 4–10, and this year’s issue focuses on the impact of the novel coronavirus on all types of libraries during the previous calendar year.” An example of the findings: “Coronavirus opened a floodgate of misinformation. Library staff worked to eradicate misinformation about COVID-19, which was infused with xenophobia and especially Sinophobia, resulting in a surge of bigotry against Asian or Chinese people. Throughout 2020, librarians responded to misinformation about vaccines, the census, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 Presidential Election.”
Additionally, “attempts to remove library materials continued during the pandemic, despite many libraries and schools closing or moving their activities and services online. … In 2020, more than 273 books were challenged or banned. Demands to remove books addressing racism and racial justice or those that shared the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color grew in number. At the same time, books addressing themes and issues of concern for LGBTQIA+ people continued to dominate the list.” The top 10 most challenged books of 2020 were the following:
