research article on banning books

Our study empirically describes banned books and authors, finding high rates of children's books written by authors of color among banned books. Furthermore, we analyze the local contexts that predict bans and evaluate how interest changes after books are banned.

In the 2023-2024 school year, the book ban crisis affected 4,231 unique titles, censoring the works of 2,662 authors, 195 illustrators, and 31 translators, a sum of 2,877 creatives. Over the last three years, 6,143 titles and 4,563 creatives have been affected by book bans.

The specter of governmental censorship raises the question: Does removing books from public school libraries violate the First Amendment, or is it a permissible act of discretion by school officials? An examination of court cases over the past 40 years suggests that the answer hinges on what motivated schools to shield students from particular ...

The research examines the “who,” “what,” and “why” of book banning in its preliminary stages and identifies the effects book banning has on different groups and communities. For teachers, book banning means shaky, ever-changing curriculum, fear for personal choices, and the tragedy of self-censorship.

This article argues that book banning places a unique burden on adolescent development and is particularly harmful to those living with marginalized identities.

The freedom to read is under assault in the United States—particularly in public schools—curtailing students’ freedom to explore words, ideas, and books. In the 2022–23 school year, from July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023, PEN America recorded 3,362 instances of book bans in US public school classrooms and libraries.

Key Findings: More books banned. More districts. More states. More students losing access to literature. “More” is the operative word for this report on school book bans, which offers the first comprehensive look at banned books throughout the 2021–22 school year.

Bibliography supporting research on censorship, banned and challenged books, and intellectual freedom. For researching why a particular book has been challenged, we recommend the Banned Books Resource Guide, which is represented on this list by the most recent editions, as well as the entry for the serial comprised of all the editions.

Columnist Jonathan E. Collins discusses the U.S. court system’s history support of the First Amendment and against censorship. He outlines the implications of the most recent book banning incidents and the political ideology behind them.

Abstract. The American Library Association reported an “unprecedented spike” in the number of book removal requests in the final months of 2021, and most of these challenges focus on books about people from marginalized communities.