Hundreds, if not thousands, of books are banned and censored every year across the United States, and that number only continues to rise.

In 2021, 1,858 unique titles were banned or challenged. In 2022, that number jumped to 2,571.[i] And last year, in 2023, challenges and bannings skyrocketed to an astounding 4,240 titles.[ii] Of those challenges, 46% were focused on materials in public libraries. See the following chart from the American Library Association:  “Number of Unique Titles Challenged in the U.S. By Year” [iii]

The why of the question – why so many more books have been challenged and banned in the past three years than in the past twenty – is more than we have time to answer in a quick blog post.

But how? How do all of these books get challenged in the first place? And how then do libraries decide what to keep and what to remove? We can definitely shine a light on that.

“If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.” ― Benjamin Franklin[iv]

You have probably heard two important terms when it comes to banning books – a challenge, and a ban. Both of these actions single out titles with the goal of having materials removed from library collections, so what’s the difference anyway?

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. When challenges occur in a public library space, the onus is on the challenger to state explicitly why they are challenging these items in particular.

At most public libraries in the U.S., Northern Onondaga Public Library (NOPL) included, there is a rigorous process that addresses challenges of material collections. When a challenge is brought to the library’s attention, it is usually through verbal or written communication from a library patron. If the patron then wants to proceed with a formal challenge and not just voice an opinion of the material in question, they must fill out a Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources form for each item they are challenging. On that form, they must answer questions such as:

  • “What brought this resource to your attention?”
  • “What concerns you about the resources? Please be specific…”

And

  • “What action are you requesting the committee consider?”

In short, there needs to be a verifiable concern about the material being challenged. Petty challenges, blanket challenges, and uncited challenges are not taken into consideration by the library or the committee.

“All censorships exist to prevent anyone from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current concepts and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorships. – George Bernard Shaw, “An Author’s Apology”[v]

When an item is challenged by a library patron, the library and management take this process seriously. If a Request for Reconsideration is submitted, we are obligated to then move on to the next steps of reconsidering this item for our collection – librarians do not simply discard an item if it is opposed by a library patron, and the challenged item remains on the shelf throughout the reconsideration process for other patrons to access.

Following a formal challenge, the item(s) are then presented to a committee of library and community peers who review the request, the material, and the issues impartially, before making their decision on whether or not to keep the item in our collections. If the Request does not hold merit, and is found to be unfair, prejudicial, or unjust to the rest of our patrons, the challenge is rejected. If, however, the Request is found to hold merit, the item is then withdrawn from the branch’s collection.

But be aware, this is not a unilateral NOPL or county decision.

NOPL is part of a larger consortium of libraries across the entirety of Onondaga County. What is challenged at one branch does not mean that item is then challenged at all branches. As individual libraries, we all hold our own budgets, collections, staff, and collections management policies. If an item is challenged and deemed necessary to be removed at North Syracuse, it is *not* also withdrawn at Cicero, or Brewerton, or Salina, or Liverpool, or any of the other 31 library branches across the county. Patrons are still able to request challenged and withdrawn items from the other libraries. With Interlibrary Loan as well, we have the option to request items from anywhere within the continental United States (depending on availability).

Were we to refuse to allow patrons to access materials through checkout or hold, or if any of the libraries in the county were to group together to decide, unilaterally, that we would not provide access to an item a patron was requesting on the basis of a challenge, then that is a banned book.

Libraries do not ban books.

Libraries in the United States are cornerstones of the communities they serve. Free access to the books, ideas, resources, and information in America’s libraries is imperative for education, employment, enjoyment, and self-government. Denying patrons access to materials is an infringement upon the First Amendment, a central pillar of librarianship.

Banned Books Week was launched by the American Library Association in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools, and continues to be recognized today. Usually held during the last week of September, the annual event “highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community…in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.”[vi]

Book bans, challenges, and removals are all scary things to read and hear about. They’re even scarier to have to go through. However, we at the library do also recognize the rights, beliefs, and wishes of the public whom we serve; we want you to access the books and materials that bring you joy. The ones that make you think. The ones that leave you crying (whether happy or sad) or laughing until your stomach hurts. The ones that teach you something. The ones that stay with you for years to come.

The world around us is changing every day, and we at the library want to make sure that we continue to represent everyone in our community. We may have items you don’t agree with, and we understand that might upset you. As a center of free speech, we welcome your opinions and are grateful for your trust in us as an institution. But we also encourage you to read outside the box and find materials that challenge you!

“Every reader their book. Every book its reader.” S. R. Ranganathan [vii]

[i] “American Library Association reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022,” American Library Association, March 22, 2023. https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/03/record-book-bans-2022 (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[ii] “Book Ban Data”, American Library Association, March 20, 2023. https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[iii] “American Library Association reports record number of unique book titles challenged in 2023”, American Library Association, March 14, 2024. https://www.ala.org/news/2024/03/american-library-association-reports-record-number-unique-book-titles (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[iv] “Let Freedom Read,” Daniel Boone Regional Library, September 25, 2003. https://www.dbrl.org/adults/let-freedom-read (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[v] “An Author’s Apology” in “Mrs. Warren’s Confession,” George Bernard Shaw, 1902, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1097/1097-h/1097-h.htm (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[vi] “About” Banned Books Week Coordinator, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, 2024. https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/ (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[vii] Five Laws of Library Science, S. R. Ranganathan, 1931.