Banned Books Week Press Kit

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
Freed

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracks attempts to ban or restrict access to books across the United States and to inform the public about censorship efforts in our libraries and schools.

In 2023, OIF documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023, a 65% increase compared to 2022 numbers. Read the full announcement.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials.

Banned Books Week (September 22-28, 2024) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

Media Contacts:

Media interested in scheduling interviews with ALA spokespersons may contact the ALA Communications, Marketing & Media Relations Office, cmomedia@ala.org.

Press Releases

Sep 23: American Library Association reveals preliminary data on 2024 book challenges

Sep 11: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay To Lead Banned Books Week As Honorary Chair

Apr 8: ALA kicks off National Library Week revealing the annual list of Top 10 Most Challenged Books and the State of America’s Libraries Report

Mar 14: American Library Association reports record number of unique book titles challenged in 2023

Feb 20: Unite Against Book Bans Announces a Free Book Résumé Resource

Resources

Yearly Field Reports for Most Frequently Challenged Books

Each year, ALA releases an annual report that examines attempts to curtail the freedom to read, offering more information about censorship attacks on the Top 10 Most Challenged Books, as well as details on additional frequently challenged titles.

The current report, now called The Book Report, can be found here.

The current report will be made available on this page at a future date. Press can request an embargoed copy for reporting purposes by emailing oif@ala.org.