The Columbia College Chicago Library has created an Anti-Censorship Policy Statement affirming our commitment to resist all forms of censorship, including the banning of books.
In 2023, censorship efforts increased significantly in the United States. The American Library Association states that,
Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022, from ALA, https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
“Between January 1 and August 31, 2023, OIF reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles – a 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022, which saw the highest number of book challenges since ALA began compiling the data more than 20 years ago. The vast majority of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.” (ALA.org).
To learn more about the current state of book banning, as well as its’ origins and impacts, check out these additional resources:
