10,000 (and counting) in the 2023-24 school year alone
We invite readers, authors, educators, librarians, and everyone who opposes censorship to get involved during Banned Books Week 2024.
Submissions for the 2025 cycle are now open through November 1, 2024.
Learn how state laws are changing what and how subjects are taught on college campuses.
Send a letter to your elected officials today!
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Introduction: The “Problematic” Discourse and Books In the past few years, the literary community has seen waves of activism that…
Introduction In 2020, the publishing industry entered a moment of moral urgency about the persistent lack of racial and ethnic…
Introduction Book bans in public schools have recurred throughout American history, and have long been an issue of concern to PEN America,…
More books banned. More districts. More states. More students losing access to literature. “More” is the operative word for this…
Introduction At Nash Correctional Institution in North Carolina, a series of low-lying brick buildings ringed with barbed wire fencing, parking…
Download the Index data How to Get Involved Introduction The freedom to read is under assault in the United States—particularly…
What is a book ban? How is a book ban different from a challenge? What is the history of book…
The book ban crisis is often referred to by its numbers. A rising number of bans, more states impacted, more…
PEN America’s 2022-2023 Index of Banned Books found 3,362 instances of individual books banned. This searchable banned book list includes…