Why Books Should Not Be Banned

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

The American Library Association (ALA) has tracked book challenges, which are attempts to remove or restrict materials, since 1990. In 2020, the ALA recorded 156 reported book challenges in the United States, a significant decrease from the 377 reported challenges in 2019 perhaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2022 challenges jumped to an all-time high with in 2021 with 729 challenges, containing a total of 1,597 books. [22] [27] [28]

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In 2022, attempts to ban books doubled from 2021 with 1,269 attempts to ban 2,571 unique titles, according to the ALA. The numbers also reflect a trend in which one complaint includes challenges for multiple books, whereas in the past most complaints only included one book. As of Aug. 31, 2023, there were 695 book challenges 1,915 unique titles; the ALA notes this is a 20% increase from 2022. [31] [32]

In most years, about 10% of the reported challenges result in removal or ban from the school or library. However, in 2016, five of the top ten most challenged books were removed. The ALA estimates that only about 3% to 18% of challenges are reported to its Office for Intellectual Freedom, meaning that the actual number of attempts to ban books is likely much higher. [1] [24]

In 2021, challenges were most frequently brought by parents (39%), followed by patrons (24%), a board or administration (18%), librarians or teachers (6%), elected officials (2%), and students (1%). Books were most often challenged at school libraries (44%), public libraries (37%), schools (18%), and academic libraries (1%). [30]

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Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and “unsuited to any age group” are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. The percentage of Americans who thought any books should be banned increased from 18% in 2011 to 28% in 2015, and 60% of people surveyed believed that children should not have access to books containing explicit language in school libraries, according to The Harris Poll. A 2022 poll found 71% disagreed with efforts to have books removed, including 75% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and 70% of Republicans. [1] [3] [28]

As the wave of book bans increased nationwide, 2023 brought bans on book bans themselves from two states: Illinois and California. The Illinois law is focused on libraries and “protects the freedom of libraries to acquire materials without external limitations.” California’s law focuses on school administration and “prohibit[s] the governing board of a school district or a county board of education from prohibiting the continued use of an appropriately adopted textbook, instructional material, or curriculum on the basis that it contains inclusive and diverse perspectives.” [33] [34] [35]

Asking parents’ opinions provided conflicting answers for Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute. They found:

• “95% of parents believe every school should have a school library
• 93% of parents believe their child is safe using the school library
• 80% of parents trust school librarians to select age-appropriate material for the school library, while 82% trust school librarians to recommend age-appropriate material to students.
• 60% of parents believe school libraries should restrict access to books by age or require parental permission to check out a book
• 57% believe that parents should receive notifications when a child checks out a book
• 53% of parents believe they should be able to opt their children out of access to the school library while 38% believe they should have to opt their children into access.” [36]

Should Parents or Other Adults Be Able to Ban Books from Schools and Libraries?

Discussion Questions

1. Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools or libraries? Why or why not?
2. Have you read any of the Top 10 Challenged Books of 2021 (see the graphic below)? Should those books be banned or restricted? Explain your answers.
3. Is book banning censorship? Why or why not?

Take Action

1. Evaluate the perspective of parents who would like to remove a book from a school library.

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2. Consider “11 Banned Books through Time” at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

3. Explore the American Library Association’s resources and efforts against banning books, including the 13 most challenged books of 2022.

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives.

Sources

1.American Library Association, “Banned & Challenged Books,” ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2017) 2.American Library Association, “Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2016,” ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2017) 3.The Harris Poll, “Adults Are More Likely to Believe There Are Books That Should Be Banned Than Movies, Television Shows, or Video Games,” theharrispoll.com, July 8, 2015 4.Speak up for Standards homepage, accessed via archive.org, Feb. 25, 2017 5.Clare Trapasso, “Queens Sixth-Graders No Longer Must Read Racy ‘Diary of a Part-Time Indian,'” nydailynews.com, Aug. 1, 2013 6.National Coalition against Censorship, “Censorship and the First Amendment in Schools: A Resource Guide,” webjunction.org, May 9, 2016 7.Robert P. Doyle, “Books Challenged or Banned in 2015-2016,” ila.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2017) 8.Jessica Gross, “Unsuited to Any Age Group,” lareviewofbooks, Sep. 26, 2014 9.American Library Association, “Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century,” ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2017) 10.Rick Abbott, “‘Where Is the Line?’ Book Pulled from Minnesota School Shelves after Superintendent Deems It ‘Vulgar,'” dglobe.com, May 18, 2017 11.Loris Vezzali, et al., “The Greatest Magic of Harry Potter: Reducing Prejudice,” Journal of Applied Social Psychology, July 23, 2014 12.Raymond A. Mar, et al., “Bookworms Versus Nerds: Exposure to Fiction Versus Non-Fiction, Divergent Associations with Social Ability, and the Simulation of Fictional Social Worlds,” Journal of Research in Personality, 2006 13.David Comer Kidd, et al., “Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind,” sciencemag.org, Oct. 18, 2013 14.Dan R. Johnson, Brandie L. Huffman, and Danny M. Jasper, “Changing Race Boundary Perception by Reading Narrative Fiction,” Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Feb. 10, 2014 15.Neil Gaiman, “Neil Gaiman: Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming,” theguardian.com, Oct. 15, 2013 16.Kate Messner, “An Important Conversation about Elementary Library Book Selection & Omission,” katemessner.com, June 14, 2016 17.Macey France, “THIS Is Common Core-Approved for Children?,” politichicks.com, July 30, 2015 18.Mark Hemingway, “In Defense of Book Banning,” thefederalist.com, Mar. 11, 2014 19.Jenni White, “Parents Shouldn’t Let Schools Force Kids To Read Smut,” thefederalist.com, Mar. 15, 2016 20.Finlo Rohrer, “Why Are Parents Banning School Books?,” bbc.co.uk, Sep. 27, 2010 21.US Supreme Court, “Island Trees Sch. Dist. v. Pico by Pico 457 U.S. 853 (1982),” supreme.justia.com, June 25, 1982 22.ALA, “Censorship by the Numbers,” ala.org (accessed Aug. 31, 2018) 23.ALA, “Top Ten Most Challenged Books List,” ala.org (accessed Aug. 31, 2018) 24.ALA, “Censorship by the Numbers,” ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2019) 25.ALA, “Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018,” ala.org (accessed Sep. 18, 2019) 26.ALA, “Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists,” ala.org (accessed Apr. 21, 2020) 27.ALA, “Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists,” ala.org (accessed Aug. 30, 2021) 28.Miranda Mazariegos and Meghan Collins Sullivan, “Efforts to Ban Books Jumped an ‘Unprecedented’ Four-Fold in 2021, Ala Report Says,” npr.org Apr. 4, 2022 29.American Library Association, “Voters Oppose Book Bans in Libraries,” ala.org (accessed Apr. 4, 2022) 30.American Library Association, “Banned Books: Free Downloads,” ala.org (accessed Aug. 2, 2022) 31.Alexandra Alter and Elizabeth A. Harris, “Attempts to Ban Books Doubled in 2022,” nytimes.com, Mar. 23, 2023 32.American Library Association, “Book Ban Data,” ala.org (accessed Sep. 28, 2023) 33.Illinois.gov, “Gov. Pritzker Signs Bill Making Illinois First State in the Nation to Outlaw Book Bans,” illinois.gov, June 12, 2023 34.Jonathan Franklin, “New California Law Bars Schoolbook Bans Based on Racial and LGBTQ Topics,” npr.org, Sep. 26, 2023 35.California Legislative Information, “Assembly Bill No. 1078 CHAPTER 229,” leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, Sep. 26 2023 36.Kelly Jensen, “Most Parents Want School Libraries for Their Children-but with Restrictions,” bookriot.com, Dec. 20, 2023

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