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It’s not hard to read between the lines of the recent surge in book bans. These efforts are a manifestation of a confluence of political ideology, latent cultural anxieties over difference, and targeted attempts to stanch the flow of alternative knowledge.
Since 2021, PEN America has recorded nearly 6,000 cases of book bannings—a staggering number on the rise. In just the first half of the 2022–’23 school year, PEN America saw a 28% increase in bans compared to the previous six months. A striking 36% percent of bans targeted books written for and by the LGBTQ community.
Book bans—which describe any action taken to limit access to a book—can happen through a variety of channels. On a local level, parents or an individual may decide to challenge a book in their local libraries or schools, triggering a review of the titles, and often their removal from shelves. Regardless of the motivation behind these complaints, the impact is undeniable: In Florida, 100 books were pulled from county shelves in a single year following the complaints of a single man. There are also organized, large-scale efforts from far-right parent groups like Moms for Liberty, which lobbies school districts and officials to oppose curriculum and books that are LGBTQ inclusive or related to critical race theory.
Libraries as a Lifeline
The first line of defense is libraries. For Hurwitz, there are two main strategies for protecting book access—administrative and communal. Libraries have policies to handle bans, but often these procedures aren’t being used. “In many cases, books are just taken off the shelf once someone complains, and that’s not what should be happening,” says Hurwitz. Clear, protective policies are needed so that librarians can field complaints and point to a systemic response. And there are organizations there to help—the American Librarian Association offers confidential support and free consulting services for libraries and individuals navigating a ban.
At the same time, libraries are also urgent sites for youth organizing, which is why Hurwitz helped develop Books Unbanned through the Brooklyn Public Library. Launched in 2022, Books Unbanned provides youth all over the country with free, no-questions-asked access to the library’s entire digital collection, as well as access to book clubs, a podcast, and intellectual freedom forums. Recently, the program also launched the Freedom to Read Teen Ambassadors training, where youth can learn hands-on advocacy skills and fight censorship through civic engagement.
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