After removing hundreds of books, Clay County District Schools is debating the purpose of high school libraries. School officials called it modernization. Critics see it as the next phase of the book debate targeting fiction books.
Florida led the nation with 2,304 instances of book bans last school year, following the passage of multiple laws and pressure from local groups and elected officials.
While the pandemic-driven surge in private school enrollment has slowed, interest among parents remains high. Public schools may be experiencing its effects.
Preliminary numbers show a dramatic increase in books removed from school classrooms and libraries—over 10,000 instances of bans during 2023-2024, with Florida and Iowa at the front. Researchers expect this number—more than double the bans seen in the previous school year— will rise even higher.
