Three graphic novels were among the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 in a record year for library challenges, according to the American Library Association. The three titles included Gender Queer (#1 again) and Flamer (#5), both also in the Top 10 for 2022 (see “Graphic Novels First and Fourth Most Challenged”), and Oni’s Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human (#9).
Library challenges skyrocketed again in 2023, after big increases in 2022. The number of unique titles challenged went up to 4,240, from 2,571 in 2022. Public libraries are the new target, after advocates of censorship targeted school libraries for several years: public library challenges were up 92%.
One agenda of challenges is made clear by the types of titles targeted, with titles by or about LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals were 47% of the total, the ALA reported.
“The books being targeted again focus on LGBTQ+ and people of color,” ALA President Emily Drabinski said in a statement accompanying the report. “Libraries that reflect their communities’ diversity promote learning and empathy that some people want to hide or eliminate. Libraries are vital institutions to each and every community in this country, and library professionals, who have dedicated their lives to protecting our right to read, are facing threats to their employment and well-being.”
Source: ICv2
