Indiana public libraries over the past year faced objections to books written for children, young adults and older readers alike. As in previous years, most of the books that were challenged included stories with people of color and LGBTQ+ characters.
A report released to IndyStar by the American Library Association included dozens of titles some Hoosiers wanted moved elsewhere in the library, or off the shelves completely. The ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom regularly keeps track of attempts to censor books in public, school and academic libraries.
The data their organization provided comes during Banned Books Week, running Oct 5-11, an annual effort by the ALA to raise awareness about censorship of literature at libraries across the country.
Here’s a look at what titles were banned or challenged the most over the past year across the nation and in Indiana.
What is Banned Books Week?
Banned Books Week is a movement that celebrates the freedom to read, while drawing attention to censorship of literature in libraries, schools and bookstores. The week of awareness was launched in 1982, created in response to a surge of these challenges, according to the ALA.
The annual event is meant to bring the book community together — librarians, authors, educators, booksellers and readers — in support of literature, free expression, and the need for having free and open access to information.
What are the Top 10 most banned books in the U.S.?
Each year, the ALA and Pen America create a Top 10 list of the most challenged books filed by librarians and gleaned from news stories published throughout the country.
According to PEN America, the 10 most challenged books of the 2024-25 school year were:
*Titles No. 2 and 3 were tied. †Titles No. 6, 7, 8 and 9 were tied.
“All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Crank” and “Sold” were also on the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 list.
A list of the most challenged books in Indiana appear lower in the article.
How many books were banned in 2024?
The number of targeted book titles in 2024 is dependent on the source.
The American Library Association says 2,452 unique book titles were challenged in 2024, while PEN America recorded 3,752 unique titles. These differentiating numbers are due to how the two organizations track book bans.
The actual number of banned books could be much higher
PEN tracks the number of challenges each year. This latter number is larger because it accounts for all challenges, even of the same book titles.
The American Library Association compiles its list similarly, analyzing news stories published in the U.S. and reports filed by library professionals.
Both PEN and the American Library Association acknowledge there are limitations in their reporting.
Book challenges and bans not reported, aren’t picked up by the organizations. And as book bans continue at a rapid rate, it’s difficult for the organizations, they say, to keep on top of them all, which means the actual number of banned books could be much higher.
PEN additionally looks at only a snapshot of books removed within a one-year period, so books that were previously banned do not make the organization’s list.
Indiana recorded 346 challenged books in 2023. The number dropped down to 46 titles this past year
In 2014, the ALA logged 183 challenged book titles. By 2021, the United States witnessed a surge in calls to ban or challenge books, orchestrated largely by conservative groups and aided by Republican lawmakers.
In 2023, Hoosiers challenged 346 books in libraries across Indiana, according to the ALA — from Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer: A Memoir” to the Holy Bible, including books written by Indianapolis author John Green.
The past year, data provided by the ALA showed the number of challenged books shrank to 46 titles, a decrease of roughly 87%.
A spokesperson for the ALA said factors contributing to that sharp drop could include underreporting as well as censorship by exclusion.
That occurs, the ALA said, “when library workers are prohibited from purchasing books, or required to place books in restricted or less accessible areas of the library due to fear of controversy.”
Legislative restrictions also could play a factor in fewer books being challenged.
In May 2023, then-Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law allowing Indiana parents and community members to challenge school library books they deemed offensive. Under the new law, librarians could be punished with felonies for having such books, IndyStar reported.
Among other requirements, the law removed the legal defense librarians had to claim a book was available for educational purposes if felony charges arose against them for making available books that are “harmful to minors.”
A ‘quiet’ banning is happening across the U.S., said PEN spokesperson
Tasslyn Magnusson with PEN America likened the decrease in reported book challenges to a sort of “quiet” banning happening in school districts across the country. Officials, she said, would rather remove objectionable materials in the dark than face public backlash.
“They don’t want it to happen,” Magnusson said. “Everybody will do whatever they can to keep things calm in their community… but it will get bad no matter what you do.”
Is challenging a book the same thing as banning it?
No. That said, challenging a book can lead to it being banned. When a library book is challenged, writes the ALA, it can result in access to a book being retained, restricted, or withdrawn from a library entirely.
What’s the difference between restricting and banning a book?
Restricting a book means librarians might relocate it to a section of the library intended for an older age group than the book is intended, according to the ALA. In some cases, this can mean requiring parental permission to check it out.
A book is banned, writes the ALA, when it’s removed from a library collection entirely.
What books were challenged in Indiana in 2024?
The most frequently challenged books in Indiana in 2024, according to the ALA, were stories geared to a younger audience. They include:
The ALA provided IndyStar with a list of 46 books challenged in 2024, whose titles have been arranged by age group below.
Children’s books challenged in Indiana in 2024
The ALA reported at least 15 books written for children were challenged at Indiana libraries last year. Listed in alphabetical order, they include the following titles:
Young Adult books challenged at Indiana public libraries in 2024
The ALA reported these books written for young adults were challenged at Indiana over this past year. Listed in alphabetically, they include the following titles:
Adult books challenged at Indiana public libraries in 2024
The ALA reported the following adult books were challenged at Indiana libraries in 2024. Listed in alphabetical order, they include these titles:
Who created Banned Books Week?
Banned Books Week was established in 1982 by Judith Krug, a librarian and First Amendment proponent. She served as director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation.
According to Amnesty International, Krug received a request from the Association of American Publishers in 1982 to bring banned books to the attention of the American public after a “slew of books” had been banned that year. Krug, Amnesty International writes, relayed the information to the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and “six weeks later we celebrated the first Banned Books Week.”
How to get banned or challenged books in Central Indiana
You can download millions of e-books for free with a library card from the Indianapolis Public Library. The service includes free access to music, magazines and movies that you can stream at home.
Help to do so is available online at any of the library branch locations or by calling its Tinker Station helpline at 317-275-4500.
IndyStar state government reporter Kayla Dwyer and Cate Charron contributed.
Greta Cross is a National Trending Reporter at USA TODAY.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: These 46 books were challenged at Indiana libraries. Is your favorite listed?
Reporting by John Tufts and Greta Cross, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
