Banned Books Week

People with the best intentions may challenge books. Often they see it as protecting others. Challenges can come from those holding ideological beliefs on both the right and the left. In 2019, the ALA recorded that:

• 50% of reported challenges were initiated by parents
• 20% by library patrons
• 11% by a board or administration
• 9% by religious or political groups
• 5% by librarians or teachers
• 4% by elected officials
• 1% by students

The top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom are:

1. the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"
2. the material contained "offensive language"
3. the materials was "unsuited to any age group"

Other reasons cited include:

• anti-ethnic
• cultural insensitivity
• racism
• sexism
• anti-family
• violence
• drugs, alcohol, smoking
• gambling
• suicide
• homosexuality
• religious viewpoint
• political viewpoint
• occult, Satanism, witchcraft
• inaccurate
• technical errors