Book Banning Sees an Increase in the United States Including Virginia

Book banning has increased all across the United States in the pat couple of years and Virginia is near the top of the list.

Almost 400 books titles were challenged to be banned in Virginia libraries in 2023. That puts Virginia in the top five states according to data from the American Library Association (ALA).

With 387 book challenges, Virginia is the fifth leading state, and the second leading state in the East Coast, only trailing Florida which had 2,672, challenges. That is more than double the challenges in 2022 which only saw 182 book titles being challenged.

This follows the trend of more books being challenged all over the country. Over 4,200 different titles were attacked and faced censorship in 2023. That surpassed the previous year of 2,571 in 2022 according to Axios.

And these numbers only scratch the surface as the ALA doesn’t list book challenged that weren’t reported to the group or appeared in the media.

What is behind the increase of book challenged? It is done by a small group of people. According to the Washington Post, 60 percent of book challenges were filed by 11 people during the 2020-2022 school year.

And according to The New York Times, the overall number of censorship demands dropped slightly nationwide, including Virginia. That leads them to believe that book challenges are coming in bulk from small coordinated efforts.

These groups are targeting public libraries as well as schools. Public libraries in Virginia saw an increase of 92 percent, compared to 12 percent for schools. Books that were challenged or banned did see an increase in circulation.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass was the most challenged book title in Virginia for the previous two years. Yet it was also the one of the most borrowed books from Richmond Public Libraries in both audio and written format.

And just like last year, a Hanover County Girl Scout created the Banned Book Nooks inside a local business where anyone could borrow titles banned in the county for free.

Attacks on our books won’t slow down as these small groups have become smarter and better organized. Even as less people oppose book banning, these small groups have made it their mission to challenge books all over the country.

The same battle is taking place across the nation in many states and counties. But with proper coverage and education, schools, libraries, and groups opposed to banning books are fighting back.

It will be a long battle as conservative organizations and figures use these groups to push their agenda. That is why talking about this is important and why we should be funding our public libraries as well as raising awareness before it is too late.