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We find ourselves, each other, and freedom in reading. The right to read is a shared value that we can all celebrate, but book bans threaten our rights and freedoms. Let’s stand together to champion our right to read and libraries and be Freed Between the Lines!

Raise awareness about frequently challenged books and the freedom to read with the below graphics and activities.

Censorship by the Numbers

The who, what, where, and why of censorship. Download and share our Censorship by the Numbers graphics to spread the word about challenges to library and school materials and services.

Download social media assets for Censorship by the Numbers from the gallery below by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner of the image.

Censorship by the Numbers 2023 Infographic

Censorship by the Numbers. Image showing a Circle Chart and Banned Books Week 2024 artwork (Freed Between the Lines). Who Initiates Attempts to Censor Books? In 2023, organized pressure groups used their power to try to empty library shelves of all books they deem inappropriate. 28% Partrons. 24% Parents. 21% Pressure groups. 13% Board/administration. 3% Librarians/teachers/staff. 2% Elected officials/government. 9% Other/unknown. Statistics based on 954 cases. ala.org/bbooks

Censorship by the Numbers. Image showing percentage of censorship attempts by location and Banned Books Week 2024 artwork (Freed Between the Lines). Where Do Censorship Attempts Take Place? Public library collections came under increased scrutiny in 2023. A significant factor in the increase was that groups who had previously targeted materials in school libraries began bringing challenges to the same titles at their public library. 54% Public Libraries. 39% School Libraries. 5% Schools. 2% Higher Education

Censorship by the Numbers. Image illustrating the percentage and type of materials challenged in libraries and Banned Books Week 2024 artwork (Freed Between the Lines). Books and Beyond. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,247 censorship attempts in 2023. Here’s the breakdown: 76% Books, graphic novels. 5% Displays. 4% Access (Library closures, funding, bomb threats). 4% Hate crimes (Vandalism, theft of materials representing marginalized groups). 3% Programs. 2% Films. 6% Other. ala.org/bbooks

Censorship by the Numbers. Image showing line graph and Banned Books Week 2024 artwork (Freed Between the Lines). Number of Unique Titles Challenged by Year. Line graph shows sharp spike in attempts starting in 2021. Censorship ON THE RISE. The record-breaking number of unique titles targeted in 2023 marked a 65% increase over 2022. Prior to 2021, the average number of unique titles targeted per year was 273. 2004: 390 unique titles. 2014: 183 Unique titles. 2021: 1,858 unique titles. 2022: 2,571 unique tit

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023

ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources in 2023. The number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by OIF in more than 20 years of tracking: 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries. These are most challenged, including reasons cited for censoring the books.

Download social media assets for the Top 10 Most Challenged Books from the galleries below by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner of the image.

Inphographic depicting the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 Infographic

Top Ten Most Challenge Books of 2023. ALA.ORG/BBOOKS. Includes snippets of the covers for the most challenged books.

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Image showing the #1 Most Challenged Book of 2023: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.

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Artwork showing the #2 Most Challenged Book of 2023: All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.

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Artwork showing #3 Most Challenged Book of 2023: This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson. Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit.

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Artwork showing #4 Most Challenged Book of 2023: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, druds, profanity

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Artwork of the $5 Most Challenged Book of 2023: Flamer by Mike Curato. Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.

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Artwork showing the #6 Most Challenged Book of 2023: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Challenged for depction of rape and incest; claimed to be sexually explicit; EDI content

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Artwork illustrating the #7/8 (tied) Most Challenged Book of 2023: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity

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Artwork of the #7/8 (tie) Most Challenged Book of 2023: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins. Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQIA+ content.

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Artwork of the #9 Most Challenged Book of 2023: Let's Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan. Claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQIA+ content

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Artwork of the #10 Most Challenged Book of 2023: Sold by Patricia McCormick. Claimed to be sexually explicit, rape

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Censorship by the Numbers and Top 10 Infographic (2-page PDF)

(.pdf, 1.62 MB)

Banned Books Week Sharables

Banned Books Week 2024 will take place September 22-28, 2024. Banned Books Week is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to the harms of censorship. Use these assets to show your community that your library is participating in Banned Books Week 2024.

Download social media assets for Banned Books Week from the gallery below by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner of the image.