Research Guides: Books: challenged, banned, and burned: Teachers, libraries, advocates

What can I do?

How To Find and Develop a Local Anti-Censorship Group How to find and work with people who care about book censorship.

What you can do

Exercise your reading rights
Check out a banned book
Encourage your book club to read banned books
Buy, read, and share banned books
Write a letter to a favorite banned author
Write to your legislators
Serve on your local public library board
Vote for or serve on your board of education
Write a letter to the editor
Brush up on banned book history

Support and reporting

Challenge support and reporting

How to fight book bans and challenges: An anti-censorship toolkit By author and former librarian Kelly Jensen for Book Riot. Great models and examples including specific tools for gatekeepers to combat censorship
NCAC’S Book Censorship Action Kit Advocacy tips, clear summary of issues and challenge responses, plus scenarios to assist with being prepared.
Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators
American Library Association (ALA). Challenge support The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom provides confidential support during censorship challenges to library materials, services, and programs. Anyone can report censorship, even if they do not require assistance
National Council of Teachers of English Intellectual Freedom Center guidance, tools, and other support to teachers faced with challenges in classrooms and schools pertaining to texts (e.g., literary works, films and videos, drama productions), student writing, and/or to teaching methods
American Library Association (ALA). About Banned & Challenged Books Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom: the material was considered to be "sexually explicit" the material contained "offensive language" the material was "unsuited to any age group"
Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is a non-profit legal and educational organization affiliated with the American Library Association. FTRF protects and defends the First Amendment to the Constitution and supports the right of libraries to collect - and individuals to access - information.
National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) Legislation and book bans target teaching about social justice and racism in schools

Teaching resources

Resolution on Collecting Rationales for Defending Challenged Works (NCTE) National Council of Teachers of English Position Statement [Date: November 30, 1984, Category: Censorship, Intellectual Freedom]
Strategic questioning techniques for discussion A guide on how to use the strategic questioning process and strategic questions, with sample questions for each step of the process, for class discussions that may become challenging because they touch on personal or social change. From the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching
Library of Congress for Teachers The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching.
The Right Question Institute Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions. The Right Question Institute makes it possible for all people to learn to ask better questions and participate more effectively in key decisions.

Support and guidelines from the American Library Association

Library Bill of Rights Library Bill of Rights The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.
Fight Censorship With the unprecedented surge in local and statewide book challenges, ALA offers this clearinghouse of resources to assist library workers and library advocates in responding to and supporting others facing those challenges. Remember to report challenges to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, and let ALA know if you need assistance.

American Library Association

American Library Association (ALA) Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) Sources

Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019 The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has documented attempts to ban books in libraries and schools since 1990. OIF compiled this list of the most banned and challenged books from 2010-2019 by reviewing both the public and confidential censorship reports it received. This list draws attention to literary censorship, and only provides a snapshot of book challenges. About 82-97% of challenges remain unreported, estimates OIF.
Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from media stories and voluntary reports sent to OIF from communities across the U.S.

The ALA / OIF

Condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information
Reports that 82-97% of book challenges remain unreported and receive no media
Maintains a database on challenged materials, informed by media reports and reports submitted by individuals

Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association

Intellectual Freedom: Issues and Resources Sources about intellectual freedom, privacy, the First Amendment, and censorship

Books: challenged, banned, and burned

Photo: Joseph Cooke, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

What can I do?

What you can do

Support and reporting

Challenge support and reporting

Teaching resources

Support and guidelines from the American Library Association

American Library Association

American Library Association (ALA) Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) Sources

The ALA / OIF

Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association