During National Library Week 2026 (April 19–25), the American Library Association released data documenting attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries during 2025.*
- ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second highest ever documented by ALA. The highest ever documented was 4,240 in 2023.
- Of the unique titles challenged in 2025, 1,671 (39%) represent the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color.
- ALA documented 713 attempts to censor library materials and services, 487 of which targeted books.
- In 2025, 92% of all book challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials and decision makers, up from 72% in 2024. Less than 3% of challenges originated from individual parents.
- OIF documented 5,668 books banned from libraries (66% of the total challenged) in 2025. An additional 920 books were censored through access restrictions such as relocation or requiring parental permission. This is both the highest number of titles censored in one year and the highest rate of challenges resulting in censorship from 1990–2025.
- Of the 4,235 unique titles that were challenged or banned in 2025, these were the top 11 most frequently targeted for censorship:
1. Sold by Patricia McCormick
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
3. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
4. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
5. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (tie)
5. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (tie)
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
8. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (tie)
8. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (tie)
8. Looking for Alaska by John Green (tie)
8. Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout (tie)
Article courtesy of the American Library Association.
