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Where and how did books get banned in the 2022-2023 school year?

Ban Type

In the 2022-2023 school year, 3,362 books were banned nationwide. School book bans can be initiated by parents, community members, administrators, and lawmakers, and can result in temporary to permanent bans. Since 2020, school book bans have risen on the basis of objection to the content of the books as well as in response to political pressures. PEN America has identified four types of bans: Banned from libraries and classrooms, banned from libraries, banned from classrooms, and banned pending investigation.

·Banned from libraries and classrooms: books that were removed from libraries or classrooms, and prohibited from being included in curricula.
·Banned from libraries: books that were previously available in school libraries that are not available any more.
·Banned from classrooms: books that are prohibited from curricula, optional reading lists, and classroom libraries.
·Banned pending investigation: books that are temporarily removed during an investigation to determine if the content of the book is subject to restrictions.

Data: PEN America Index of School Book Bans: 2022-2023.