Public school libraries have become subject to a growing movement to restrict what can and can’t be discussed in the classroom. It’s an issue K12 leaders have been forced to address and comply with as external political pressures continue to keep a close lens on public education, and there are no signs of it slowing down any time soon, a new report suggests.
PEN America, an anti-censorship organization, released this week its latest report highlighting the impacts book bans have on K12 schools. Their analysis declares that students and educators in some states face worse political interference than others. But across the board, book bans are growing in popularity. Here’s what leaders need to keep an eye out for.
According to the report, the number of book bans in public schools across the U.S. increased by 33% during the 2022-23 school year compared to the previous year. Furthermore, Florida as a whole contributed to more than 40% of all book bans.
PEN America has been tracking book bans since July 2021. Since then, they’ve uncovered nearly 6,000 instances of book banning, resulting in 3,362 book bans impacting 1,557 unique titles during the 2022-23 school year alone.
“The toll of the book-banning movement is getting worse,” Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, said in a statement. “More kids are losing access to books, more libraries are taking authors off the shelve, and opponents of free expression are pushing harder than ever to exert their power over students as a whole.”
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Several factors are contributing to this spike in bans, the researchers argue. For instance, they cite “vaguely-worded state legislation” in addition to pressure from advocacy groups against districts to restrict book titles from student access. Some states have even implemented severe penalties for educators and librarians who break such laws.
A recent analysis from The Washington Post revealed that at least seven states have passed laws within the last two years that impose punishments—which, in some cases, result in tens of thousands of dollars in fines and years of jail time—against librarians who expose children to “harmful” material.
“Those who are bent on the suppression of stories and ideas are turning our schools into battlegrounds, compounding post-pandemic learning loss, driving teachers out of the classroom, and denying the joy of reading to our kids,” Nossel added. “By depriving a rising generation of the freedom to read, these bans are eating away at the foundation of our democracy.”
Which books are problematic?
In addition to highlighting how this movement is growing and shaping America’s public schools, the report sheds light on what types of books are being banned.
Here are some additional findings leaders and educators may find useful amid this continued trend plaguing school districts across the country:
- Nearly half of all book bans (48%) dealt with violence or physical abuse, including titles that address sexual assault.
- Thirty percent of banned books include characters of color and themes of race and racism.
- 30% represent LGBTQ+ identities, and 6% a transgender character,
- Among the 153 school districts across the U.S. that faced a book ban during the 2022-23 school year, 124 (81%) of them have a chapter or local affiliate nearby of one or more of the three most dominant national advocacy groups driving this movement. Eighty-seven percent of all book bans occurred in these districts.
