Book challenges spike in 2025
- The American Library Association recorded 4,235 challenged book titles in U.S. libraries during 2025. - About 40% of challenged works involved LGBTQ+ subjects or experiences of people of color. - Reporting says this figure is the second-highest annual total and that challenge efforts have become more coordinated and politicized. (npr.org) (apnews.com)
U.S. libraries saw 4,235 unique book titles challenged in 2025, the second-highest annual total the American Library Association has recorded. (ala.org) The American Library Association released the figure on April 20, 2026, during National Library Week, which runs from April 19 through April 25. Its Office for Intellectual Freedom said the record remains 4,240 challenged titles in 2023. (ala.org) A challenge is an attempt to remove a library item or restrict access to it because a person or group objects to it. The association said 5,668 books were banned from libraries in 2025 and another 920 were restricted through steps such as relocation or parental-permission rules. (ala.org; usnews.com) The books targeted were not spread evenly across subjects. The American Library Association said 1,671 challenged titles, or 39%, reflected the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color. (ala.org) The source of the challenges also shifted away from one-parent complaints. The association said 92% of book challenges in 2025 were initiated by pressure groups, government officials, and other decision-makers, up from 72% in 2024, while fewer than 3% came from individual parents. (ala.org) The American Library Association said the current wave of censorship efforts began in 2021 and has continued through public, school, and academic libraries. PEN America, which tracks school-only cases under a different method, counted 6,870 book bans across 23 states and 87 public school districts in the 2024-25 school year. (ala.org; pen.org) The 2025 list of the most frequently challenged books shows how broad the objections have become. Patricia McCormick’s “Sold” ranked first, and other repeatedly targeted titles included “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Gender Queer,” and Sarah J. Maas’ “Empire of Storms.” (usnews.com) The Associated Press reported objections this year included LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of sexual violence, and references to alcohol and cigarettes. The American Library Association said many incidents are never reported, so its annual count is a snapshot rather than a full census. (usnews.com; ala.org) Groups pushing for removals say they are acting on parental rights and age-appropriateness concerns. Moms for Liberty says it works to defend parental rights and argues that limiting access by age or setting is not the same as banning ideas. (momsforliberty.org; portal.momsforliberty.org) The American Library Association is framing this year’s count as another near-record in a fight that has moved from scattered local complaints to organized campaigns. Its next annual report will show whether 2025 was a plateau or another step in a trend that now stretches back four years. (ala.org)
