The American Library Association has collected data on the perspectives of 1,000 Americans on the increasingly-popular practice of book banning in America.
While the practice of book banning is nothing new, there has been a significant increase in the number of states partaking in it across states in America.
In light of this, the American Library Association commissioned a national poll that surveyed 1,000 voters and 472 parents of children in public schools. Major findings revealed that 71% of voters oppose efforts to remove books from public libraries, including majorities of voters across party lines, revealing that the practice is far from a partisan issue.
Further results from the survey demonstrated that “large majorities of voters (75%) and parents (80%) have quite a lot or a great deal of confidence in their local libraries to make good decisions about what books to include in their collections and make available in their communities.”
Books focusing on LGBTQ and racial issues that critics say are inappropriate for students are being banned across the country. Now, some librarians are joining together to protest those bans. https://t.co/1k0YFhbJ92
— PEN America (@PENamerica) March 26, 2022
Voters and parents also affirmed the importance of giving young people access to books and not allowing individual parents to decide what books are available to other people’s children, as well as large majorities of voters (75%) and parents (80%) expressing that “they have quite a lot or a great deal of confidence in their local libraries to make good decisions about what books to include in their collections and make available in their communities.”
When you’re showing off the next book you want banned with the perfect edges and everything to underscore to everyone you haven’t actually read it pic.twitter.com/XNBqBOlxsC
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 22, 2022
In a statement, ALA President Patty Wong said, “the survey results confirm what we have known and observed: that banning books is widely opposed by most voters and parents. As a career librarian who began my career in public libraries working with children, I’m thrilled to see that parents have a high degree of confidence in school libraries’ decisions about their collections and very few think that school librarians ignore parents’ concerns. This truly validates the value and integrity of library professionals at a time when many are feeling burnt out because of accusations made by small but loud groups.”
“Many on the right, for all their braying about cancel culture, have embraced an even more extreme version of censoriousness…, with laws that would ban books, stifle teachers and discourage open discussion in classrooms.” https://t.co/rQcmyDRCLn
— Joy Castro (@_JoyCastro) March 26, 2022
Read all the key findings on the ALA website.
