A report from PEN America revealed that over 10,000 books were removed from school libraries during the 2023-2024 school year, nearly tripling the 3,362 bans from the previous year. The majority of removals occurred in Florida and Iowa, where laws restrict content related to sex, gender, and LGBTQ themes. The banned books predominantly feature stories by or about people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community, impacting works by notable authors like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. PEN America anticipates further increases in book removals due to upcoming laws, such as Utah’s H.B. 29, which mandates removal of books deemed “objectively sensitive.” Critics argue these laws resemble censorship, while supporters claim they protect students from inappropriate content.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/banned-books-week-begins-report-finds-10000-books/story?id=113927812
