ALA: book challenges spike

The American Library Association says 4,235 unique titles were challenged at U.S. libraries in 2025, the second-highest total it has recorded. (ala.org) The association released the figure on April 20, 2026, as part of its State of America’s Libraries report for National Library Week. ALA said the 2025 count fell just five titles short of the 2023 record of 4,240. (ala.org 1) (ala.org 2) ALA said 40% of the titles challenged in 2025 involved LGBTQIA+ themes or the experiences of Black, Indigenous and other people of color. Its Office for Intellectual Freedom also counted 5,668 books banned and 920 more restricted. (ala.org) (slj.com) The numbers show how library fights have shifted from single-title complaints to broad campaigns against lists of books. School Library Journal, citing the ALA data, reported that more than half of 2025 challenges came from pressure groups and government officials, while less than 3% came from individual parents. (slj.com) ALA executive director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom Sarah Lamdan said the 2025 challenges were not driven by “concerned parents” or local grassroots efforts. The group has argued that organized campaigns now account for much of the pressure on public and school libraries. (slj.com) The most-challenged title on ALA’s 2025 list was *Sold* by Patricia McCormick. Other books on the top 11 included *The Perks of Being a Wallflower* by Stephen Chbosky, *Gender Queer* by Maia Kobabe, *Tricks* by Ellen Hopkins and *Looking for Alaska* by John Green. (nprillinois.org) (upi.com) Many of those same books have also appeared on recent school-ban lists compiled by PEN America, a separate free-expression group. NPR reported that overlap as news outlets used ALA’s annual ranking to track which titles are drawing the most removal efforts across libraries. (kosu.org) (npr.org) Supporters of restrictions say some books contain sexual material or themes they consider inappropriate for children, especially in school settings. Free-speech groups and librarians say removing books from shelves limits access for all readers, including adults and older teens. (upi.com) (ala.org) For now, the 2025 report leaves the country close to its recent peak rather than returning to pre-2023 levels. The ALA’s new list suggests the books under the most pressure are still the same ones at the center of the wider fight over who gets to decide what stays on library shelves. (ala.org) (npr.org)