Stand on Legal Ground When Book Challenges Arrive

LEGAL BRIEF

Have you read every book in your schools’ libraries? Unless you’re a champion speed-reader, the answer is certainly no. But based on national trends, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually have to respond to a demand to remove titles from the library.

Challenges to school library materials are on a meteoric rise. According to the American Library Association, there were more attempts to remove books from libraries in 2022 than in any of the previous 20 years since the ALA started keeping records. Preliminary data suggest 2023 may break 2002’s record by as much as 20 percent.