ALA Releases Preliminary Censorship Data for 2024

From the American Library Association on social media:

As #BannedBooksWeek kicks off, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has released new preliminary data documenting attempts to censor books, materials, and services in public, school, and academic libraries during the first eight months of 2024.

Between January 1 and August 31, 2024, ALA tracked 414 attempts to censor library materials and services. In those cases, 1,128 unique titles were challenged. In the same reporting period last year, ALA tracked 695 attempts with 1,915 unique titles challenged. Though the number of reports to date has declined in 2024, the number of documented attempts to censor books continues to far exceed the numbers prior to 2020.

Additionally, instances of soft censorship, where books are purchased but placed in restricted areas, not used in library displays, or otherwise hidden or kept off limits due to fear of challenges illustrate the impact of organized censorship campaigns on students’ and readers’ freedom to read. In some circumstances, books have been preemptively excluded from library collections, taken off the shelves before they are banned, or not purchased for library collections in the first place.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/d_QhXa6a