State of America's Libraries: A Snapshot of 2025
“As we look toward the next 250 years, the choice is ours. We can let our libraries fade, viewed as charming relics of a bygone era. Or, we can choose to invest in them as a bedrock of our future. Let us decide, right now, that they are not optional. They are the very breath of a free society and they are worth fighting for."
—ALA President Sam Helmick
As the nation’s libraries unite to celebrate National Library Week, and communities everywhere recognize the valuable contribution of America’s libraries and the people who power them, library workers around the country continue to grapple with censorship challenges and threats to their livelihood.
ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second highest ever documented by ALA.
Read more about censorship challenges, literacy efforts, and federal library advocacy in the State of America's Libraries: A Snapshot of 2025.
Press Release: American Library Association releases 2025 Most Challenged Books List as National Library Week Begins
Reporters should contact:
American Library Association Communications & Media Relations Office, cmomedia@ala.org.
Help spread the word about the value of libraries with State of America's Libraries Report promotional tools, including the list of Most Challenged Books of 2025.
