2022 Saw Record Number of Book Ban Attempts, ALA Says

The American Library Association reported that 1,269 demands to censor library books were made in 2022, the highest number recorded since record-keeping started 20 years ago.

Key Quotes: An ALA statement said that “2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.” The ALA attributed the increase in censorship demands to “organized censorship groups.” ALA President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada said “many library workers face threats to their employment, their personal safety, and in some cases, threats of prosecution for providing books to youth they and their parents want to read.”

What is the ALA? According to the ALA website, the association’s mission is to “provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”

How The Media Covered It: Left- and center-rated outlets covered the report mildly; right-rated outlets covered it even less. The Washington Examiner linked the censorship attempts to lawmakers’ “efforts to prevent young children from being exposed to graphic sexual content and critical race theory in schools,” and determined the increase to be the result of books with “sexual, racial, and LGBT themes” being “discovered in classrooms and libraries.”