BookMen members are well aware that censorship is once again on the march in America, mainly (but not exclusively) in red states. But a recent report by the American Library Association spells out just how fast this alarming trend is accelerating. In 2020, just 223 titles were targeted; last year, 2,571 were. Most of the books deal with LGBTQ issues or race.
In the past, most book removals occurred when a parent raised concerns about a title directly with a teacher or librarian, and complaints were resolved quietly. But now, challenges to books are increasingly being driven by organized efforts led by elected officials or activist groups--whose actions can affect a whole school district or even state (as in Florida). A new report from PEN America documents this alarming trend.
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