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Book bans have been a prominent topic in the news recently, given the rapid rise in requests from parents to remove books they find objectionable from libraries and curricula. With continuing efforts to increase parental control of books and lesson plans, it is important to understand what book bans are, as well as their implications. Book bans make it more difficult for students to access certain books, either by removing them from the library or from the curriculum. Book bans involve overriding choices made by teachers or librarians about books.

An American Library Association (ALA) survey found that 70% of parents oppose banning books in public libraries, with most parents having a high level of confidence in librarians to make decisions about age-appropriate book selections. Nonetheless, there has been an uptick in restrictions on books in school libraries, with the ALA noting more than 1,200 requests to restrict book access in 2022. This is the highest number of requests ever analyzed by the ALA. A small number of parents have propagated the book bans. A Washington Post analysis found that the majority of 1,000+ book bans were reported by just eleven people.

Recent efforts to censor conversations about gender, sexuality, and race have influenced the book ban movement. Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" Bill, commonly known as the "Don't Say Gay" Bill, restricts teachings about gender and sexual orientation in schools. Critical Race Theory has also drawn national attention recently, with some state-wide legislation banning its use in schools or imposing regulations about race-based topics.

So, what does this mean for book bans? In an analysis of books banned during the first half of the 2022-2023 academic year, about 26% of banned books address LGBTQ+ topics, and 30% discuss race or racism. Similar patterns are seen when analyzing the authors of banned books-many of the banned books have been written by authors of color or LGBTQ+ authors. The fact that these bans disproportionately impact books written by or involving people of color and LGBTQ+ people indicates a targeted attempt to silence certain voices rather than to protect children.

The most banned book of 2022 was Gender Queer, an autobiographical graphic novel by Maia Kobabe that discusses growing up through a gendered lens. Kobabe discusses a variety of topics - from discomfort with gender identity to romantic crushes to music. Kobabe reinforces the importance of books like Gender Queer being accessible, explaining in an interview that for queer, trans, and nonbinary youth, media can be one of the best ways to "look up information on their identity or find answers to questions they might be having or find role models and adults they can look up to."

While there have been no federal book bans accompanying these recent restrictions, there are efforts to bring these issues to the national level. The "Parents Bill of Rights" (H.R.5), which passed in the House of Representatives, enumerates rights for parents such as "a list of the books and other reading materials available in the library of their child's school" along with the right to "inspect such books or reading materials."

Efforts to counter book banning legislation have occurred at both the state and federal levels. Attempts to mitigate the potential harm implied by H.R.5 included an amendment offered by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) to prevent the bill from being used to enable book bans, which failed. State-wide initiatives have also emerged to protect books in schools, including legislation signed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker to outlaw book bans.

Groups that claim to champion "parental rights," such as Moms for Liberty, have stood at the forefront of these movements, actively supporting book bans and other legislation. Moms for Liberty is working to eliminate conversations about gender identity and Critical Race Theory from classrooms, including in books, and their advocacy is gaining traction in school board races across the country.

As some parents work toward expanding their own power, where does this leave children? Children have been lost in the conversation that directly relates to their education. Books from a variety of viewpoints can be incredible tools to help children learn, independently or in a classroom, and limiting these discussions only hinders the nuanced discussions that inspire growth. Banning Shakespeare and other classic literature based on a few excerpts doesn't protect children, it limits their learning. Banning books about LGBTQ+ and racial-equity topics doesn't stop children from being curious about different topics, it merely blocks an important medium through which they can learn.

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Book bans don't protect children, they limit learning | First Focus on Children

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Book bans have been a prominent topic in the news recently, given the rapid rise in requests from parents to remove books they find objectionable from

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The American Library Association reported a record-breaking number of attempts to ban books in 2022- up 38 percent from the previous year. Most of the books pulled off shelves are "written by or about members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color."

U.S. school boards have broad discretion to control the material disseminated in their classrooms and libraries. Legal precedent as to how the First Amendment should be considered remains vague, with the Supreme Court last ruling on the issue in 1982.

Battles to censor materials over social justice issues pose numerous implications for education while also mirroring other politically-motivated acts of censorship throughout history.

How Do Book Bans Impact Students?

Prior to the rise in bans, white male youth were already more likely to see themselves depicted in children's books than their peers, despite research demonstrating how more culturally inclusive material can uplift all children, according to a study, forthcoming in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, from TC's Alex Eble.

"Books can change outcomes for students themselves when they see people who look like them represented," explains the Associate Professor of Economics and Education. "What people see affects who they become, what they believe about themselves and also what they believe about others...Not having equitable representation robs people of seeing the full wealth of the future that we all can inhabit."

While books have stood in the crossfire of political battles throughout history, today's most banned books address issues related to race, gender identity and sexuality - major flashpoints in the ongoing American culture war. But beyond limiting the scope of how students see themselves and their peers, what are the risks of limiting information access?

"[Book bans] diminish the quality of education students have access to and restrict their exposure to important perspectives that form the fabric of a culturally pluralist society like the United States," explains TC's Sonya Douglas s, Professor of Education Leadership. "It's a battle over the soul of the country in many ways; it's about what we teach young people about our country, what we determine to be the truth, and what we believe should be included in the curriculum they're receiving. There's a lot at stake there."

Material stripped from libraries and curriculum include works written by Black authors that discuss police brutality, the history of slavery in the U.S. and other issues. As such, Black students are among those who may be most affected by bans across the country, but - in Douglass' view - this is simply one of the more recent disappointments in a long history of Black communities being let down by public education - chronicled in her 2020 book, and further supported by a 2021 study from Douglass' Black Education Research Center that revealed how Black families lost trust in schools following the pandemic response and murder of George Floyd.

In that historical and cultural context - even as scholars like Douglass work to implement Black studies curriculums - the failure of schools to properly integrate Black experiences into the curriculum remains vast.

"We want to make sure that children learn the truth, and that we give them the capacity to handle truths that may be uncomfortable and difficult," says Douglass, citing Germany as an example of a nation that has prioritized curriculum that highlights its own injustices, such as the Holocaust. "This moment again requires us to take stock of the fact that racism and bigotry still are a challenging part of American life. When we better understand that history, when we see the patterns, when we recognize the source of those issues, we can then do something about it."

Why Is Banning Books Legal?

While legal battles over book censorship in schools consistently unfold at local levels, the wave of book bans across the U.S. surfaces a critical question: why hasn't the United States had more definitive legal closure on this issue?

In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a noncommittal ruling that continues to keep school and library books in the political crosshairs more than 40 years later. In Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico (1982), the Court deemed that "local school boards have broad discretion in the management of school affairs" and that discretion "must be exercised in a manner that comports with the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment."

But what does this mean in practice? In these kinds of cases, the application of the First Amendment hinges on the existence of evidence that books are banned for political reasons and violate freedom of expression. However, without more explicit guidance, school boards often make decisions that prioritize "community values" first and access to information second.

"America traditionally has prided itself on local control of education - the fact that we have active citizen and parental involvement in school board issues, including curriculum," explains TC's Michael Rebell, Professor of Law and Educational Practice. "We have, whether you want to call it a clash or a balancing, of two legal considerations here: the ability of children to freely learn what they need to learn to be able to exercise their constitutional rights, and this traditional right of the school authorities to determine what the curriculum is."

So would students benefit from more national and uniform legal guidance on book banning? In this political climate, Rebell attests, the risks very well might outweigh the potential rewards.

"Your local institutions are -in theory - protecting the values you believe in. And if somebody in Washington were going to say that we couldn't have books that talk about transgender rights and things in New York libraries, we'd go crazy, right?" said Rebell. "So I can't imagine that in this polarized environment, people would be in favor of federal law, whatever it said."

Why Do Waves of Book Bans Keep Happening?

Historians date censorship back all the way to the earliest appearance of written materials. Ancient Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti began eliminating historical texts in 259 B.C., and in 35 A.D., Roman emperor Caligula objected to the ideals of Greek freedom depicted in The Odyssey. In numerous waves of censorship since then, book bans have consistently manifested the struggle for political control.

"We have to think about [the current bans] as part of a longer pattern of fights over what is in curriculum and what is kept out of it," explains TC's Ansley Erickson, Associate Professor of History and Education Policy, who regularly prepares local teachers on how to integrate Harlem history into social studies curriculum.

"The United States' history, since its inception, is full of uses of curriculum to shape politics, the economy and the culture," says Erickson. "This is a really dramatic moment, but the curriculum has always been political, and people in power have always been using it to emphasize their power. And historically marginalized groups have always challenged that power."

One example: when Latinx students were forbidden from speaking Spanish in their Southwest schools throughout the 20th century, they worked to maintain their traditions and culture at home.

"These bans really matter, but one of the ways we can imagine a response is by looking back at how people created spaces for what wasn't given room for in the classroom," Erickson says.

What Could Happen Next?

American schools stand at a critical inflection point, and amid this heated debate, Rebell sees civil discourse at school board meetings as a paramount starting point for any sort of resolution. "This mounting crisis can serve as a motivator to bring people together to try to deal with our differences in respectful ways and to see how much common ground can be found on the importance of exposing all of our students to a broad range of ideas and experiences," says Rebell. "Carve-outs can also be found for allowing parents who feel really strongly that certain content is inconsistent with their religious or other values to exempt their children from certain content without limiting the options for other children."

But students, families and educators also have the opportunity to speak out, explains Douglass, who expressed concern for how her own daughter is affected by book bans.

"I'd like to see a groundswell movement to reclaim the nation's commitment to education - to recognize that we're experiencing growing pains and changes in terms of what we stand for; and whether or not we want to live up to the democratic ideal of freedom of speech; different ideas in the marketplace, and a commitment to civics education and political participation," says Douglass.

As publishers and librarians file lawsuits to push back, students are also mobilizing to protest bans - from Texas to western New York and elsewhere. But as more local battles unfold, bigger issues remain unsolved.

"We need to have a conversation as a nation about healing; about being able to confront the past; about receiving an apology and beginning that process of reconciliation," says Douglass. "Until we tackle that head on, we'll continue to have these types of battles."
- Morgan Gilbard
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

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What You Need to Know About the Book Bans Sweeping the U.S.

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As school leaders pull more books off library shelves and curriculum lists amid a fraught culture war, we explore the impact, legal landscape and history of book censorship in schools

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The impact book bans can have on youth mental health

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KDKA’s John Shumway is here with concerns some people are raising about the trend.

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More than 1,500 educators report on book bans and the damaging impact they are having on teacher morale and student learning
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2023) - In a new study released by First Book Research & Insights, educators report that the national conversation around book challenges and bans is negatively impacting their classrooms, profession, and student learning. More than 1,500 educators serving children in under-resourced communities responded to the First Book survey to reveal educator perceptions on book restrictions in their school districts, and their impact on student learning.

Through this study, educators discussed the destructive impact that book bans are having on teacher morale. The study revealed that book bans have a chilling effect whether or not teachers are facing book bans in their districts. The survey found that 71 percent of educators, regardless of whether their district has faced bans, believe book banning undermines their expertise, makes them feel distrusted, and increases their stress. These detrimental effects translate into the classroom as nearly two-thirds of educators said that book banning is having a negative impact on their ability to teach.

"Educators serving students in low-income, under-resourced communities remain unheard in the discussion - and they are a critical voice because of their role in supporting student academic growth while managing the negative effects of ongoing actions to ban books," says Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. "The effort to restrict access to books has excessively targeted diverse books, which we know are indispensable in engaging kids, improving student reading scores, and developing a strong sense of self and empathy for others. These books empower young learners to foster a lifelong love of reading."

Of the more than 1,500 educator respondents, one-third report facing book bans, challenges, or restrictions in their school district. Although only 7 percent of educators have removed books from their classrooms due to book bans, this study reveals the negative and chilling impacts that reach far beyond the districts that are facing bans. Approximately 15 percent have preemptively removed books from their libraries. Eighteen percent of educators have indicated that specific titles have been banned in their school district.

By capturing the experiences and perceptions of educators working on the ground in classrooms, this new study offers insights into the negative impact of book bans on student success in the classroom. In the survey, 72 percent indicated that restricting book access decreases students' engagement in reading. More than a third of educators noted that book bans discourage students' critical thinking, and 78 percent reported that students are reading more when given the choice to read banned books.

These findings come on the heels of another study produced by First Book Research & Insights, the organization's research arm that conducts studies of its network of more than 575,000 educators. The recent Diverse Books Impact Study report, which was released in September, highlights the positive impacts of diverse books in classroom libraries. In the six-month pilot study, after adding diverse books to their classroom libraries, educators reported that reading scores increased by 3 percentage points higher than national annual expected averages, and collective classroom reading time increased by 4 hours per week on average. Classrooms that added bilingual and LGBTQ+ titles reported the greatest improvements.

The findings on student outcomes reinforce educators' consistent call for diverse titles to support student achievement.

"Educators have expressed their wealth of knowledge and expertise through First Book's research on both the impact of diverse books and book banning," says Zimmer. "This study proves that the targeted removal of diverse titles in the midst of a national literacy crisis is detrimental to the academic growth of our children and demoralizing for the educators serving them. And this is an issue for all children, no matter their zip code or identity. Kids who do not have exposure to other cultures and identities will be at a disadvantage."

First Book's full report on the banned books survey is available to download here. And the full Diverse Books Impact Study Report can be downloaded here.

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About First Book

Education transforms lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. We work to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of our work are the 575,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of educators and professionals dedicated to children in need across North America. This Network is the key to creating systemic change. Through our research arm, First Book Research & Insights, we conduct studies that aggregate their voices to identify barriers to equitable education and inform strategic solutions. To address their needs, we provide free and low-cost books, resources, and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to support this underserved community. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at FirstBook.org and visit our award-winning eCommerce website at FBMarketplace.org.

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New First Book Study Tackles National Issue of Banned Books

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In a new study released by First Book Research & Insights, educators report that the national conversation around book challenges and bans is negatively impacting their classrooms, profession, and student learning.

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Protect the Freedom to Read: Ways to Take Action

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The New York Public Library is dedicated to free and open access to information and knowledge. We believe that all people have the freedom to read. This freedom has recently been under threat by an alarming increase in book bans over the past several years. We invite you to stand with us against book banning and censorship—learn more below about how to get involved.

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Censorship has swept the United States in the past two years. Here are five things you can do TODAY to fight book bans in your community and beyond.

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Educators, students get creative in evading book bans

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Educators and students have been finding creative ways over the past few years to circumvent book bans in states and schools across the country. Inside and outside the classroom, vested teachers, p…

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Starting banned book clubs is a good way to connect with your peers in the community and fight back against book bans.

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Supporting organizations such as PEN America can help fight against book bans.

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Starting little free libraries is a good way to spread awareness about book bans in local libraries.