Records set, multiple titles often challenged
Censorship of library materials is on the rise. There were 1,269 documented attempts to censor in 2022, nearly double from the year before and the highest number of challenges recorded since the American Library Association (ALA) began keeping records. These attempts targeted 2,751 unique titles, another record.
The majority of these challenges happened in schools. According to the ALA, nearly 51 percent of the demands to censor books targeted books, programs, displays, and other materials in school libraries and schools; 48 percent of book challenges targeted materials in public libraries.
Another trend for 2023 is challenges to multiple titles in a single request. The ALA’s report, released in March, states that 90 percent of the challenges for last year were for multiple titles, with 40 percent challenging 100 books or more.
The Nassau County Library System has not seen the surge in challenges being experienced in other parts of the country, and most interactions about materials are informal. “So what we’ve seen here in Nassau County are a handful of requests for reconsideration, which is where a library patron would ask that a certain book or display be removed from view, relocated to another part of the library, or otherwise restricted from certain parts of the community. Most of these requests that we’ve heard have been informal ones and truly nothing on the level of what we’re seeing in other parts of the country. Nothing like what’s going on in Texas or Florida or the Midwest… We’re not seeing a lot of formal requests. We’re seeing those informal comments: a phone call, email, or over the desk.” Nicole Sherer, assistant director at the Library System, said in a recent interview.
Even though each library is independently operated and locally governed, the Library has policies and procedures in place for when material is challenged. “Every library in New York State is required to have a collection development policy. And that governs how professional librarians select items for the library collection, because again, it’s all taxpayer funded. So we like to be really transparent about how we make our decisions. As a part of that policy, libraries will have a Request for Reconsideration form that patrons who have concerns about titles or displays can fill out.”
The form asks a series of questions designed to get to the heart of why the patron finds the material objectionable. “Basically just says ‘what have you seen? where it how did you come across the thing in the library? Did you see it, or did you hear about it from someone else? What would you like us to do with this item? Are there other items that you would suggest to balance the item you find problematic?’ So that collection development policy is really kind of the backbone of this. Also, a lot of libraries will offer a ‘suggest for purchase’ to their patrons as well. So really, very transparent. We haven’t heard about many people having to utilize the policy or (having to) hand out those forms too much. Most of what we’re hearing is a little more casual than that.”
Sherer emphasized that most people are supportive of the library and its mission, and as such tend to be tolerant of a lot of different material. “Most people in every county value their libraries and we find that people really understand that libraries have a responsibility to provide content that covers a wide array of thought and perspective. That’s what public libraries are for. There is a great Jo Godwin quote- ‘a great library has something in it to offend everyone.’ And I think most people in Nassau County really understand that. So we haven’t really heard of any situations that may need to be de-escalated. it’s more passive than that. The most, again, not really conflict, but we do have some cases in Nassau, but this is actually more prevalent in other parts of the country, where controversial books go missing from the shelf.”
Providing a well-balanced collection that has something for everyone is a critical part of what libraries do for their community. Libraries are a community resource where everyone should be able to find something useful. Scherer puts it this way: “The idea of developing and maintaining well-balanced collection is kind of the heart of the materials process in any library. And again, if you look at a library’s collection development policy, you’ll see a lot of language about the ethics that professional librarians use to guide that process. And it’s not just ordering books and never interacting with them again. Librarians are really involved in making sure that they’re ordering things that are useful, that fit community need, that will not just be popular, but will make sure that the library presents a really robust perspective on the contemporary issues of the day.”
Top Ten Most Challenged Books
1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Number of challenges: 151
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Number of challenges: 86
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Number of challenges: 73
Challenged for: depiction of sexual abuse, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
4. Flamer by Mike Curato
Number of challenges: 62
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
5. (tie) Looking for Alaska by John Green
Number of challenges: 55
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
5. (tie) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Number of challenges: 55
Challenged for: depiction of sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
7. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Number of challenges: 54
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Number of challenges: 52
Challenged for: profanity, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
9. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Number of challenges: 50
Challenged for: depictions of abuse, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
10. (tie) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Number of challenges: 48
Challenged for: claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
10. (tie) Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Number of challenges: 48
Challenged for: drug use, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
10. (tie) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Number of challenges: 48
Challenged for: profanity, claimed to be sexually explicit
_________________________________
10. (tie) This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson
Number of challenges: 48
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, providing sexual education, claimed to be sexually explicit