Table of Contents<\/h4>\nWhat Is World Book Day?<\/a>
\nSelective Reading \u2014 Book Bans in the US<\/a>
\nBook Bans in Schools<\/a>
\nBans across the Globe<\/a>
\nShifting Formats: How Books Have Changed<\/a>
\nCelebrate World Book and Copyright Day<\/a>
\nBanned Books Aren\u2019t Bad Books<\/a>
\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat Is World Book Day?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially created World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, 1995. The organization chose this date because many prominent writers died in April, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, Mark Twain, and Bram Stoker. The event is a global celebration of the impact of books, authors, literacy, and reading on communities and people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
World Book Day is celebrated by over 100 countries, and each year, UNESCO picks a new city as the World Book Capital. The World Book Capital for 2024 is Strasbourg, France. Strasbourg has a long history of celebrating literary culture and has started programs like Reading for the Planet<\/em>, a campaign that encourages youth to discuss environmental concerns and gain scientific knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWorld Book Capitals are expected to promote reading and literature for a full year, starting on World Book Day. During their 12 months as a World Book Capital, cities run events and initiatives to encourage reading and promote literature. This includes a focus on instilling a love of reading in children and young adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s worth noting that the UK and Ireland celebrate their own World Book Day on the second Thursday of March (this year on the 7th) every year. Twice the chance to acknowledge the importance and impact of books is never a bad thing, so why not celebrate both?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Selective Reading \u2014 Book Bans in the US<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFreedom of speech and information hasn\u2019t stopped book bans in the US. A study by Every Library shows that 39 states already had active book-banning legislation in 2023, with a further 113 bills introduced throughout the year. Despite the number of attempted bans, 58% of our survey participants weren\u2019t aware of any legislation to ban books in their state. This is surprising, considering around 54% of our respondents don\u2019t think banning books is acceptable under any circumstance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US isn\u2019t the only country that bans books \u2013 and alarmingly, Words Rated says that general non-fiction accounts for approximately 25% of all global book bans. The general non-fiction category is made up of books that don\u2019t easily fit into just one or two other categories (for example, something that covers finance, business, and economics). It includes books about factual human experiences and real events that could spark open discussion and change or offer comfort to others in the same or similar situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Book Bans in Schools<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBook bans in the US are nothing new, and the list of banned or challenged books increases each year. Legislation records show that in 2022, over 2,500 different books were targeted for bans by multiple groups in the US. Unfortunately, these bans affect students and young adults the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studies by PEN America showed 3,362 individual books across the US in the 2022\u20132023 school year, including 1,557 unique titles. This means that US students could be losing access to an average of 100+ new books each month. This includes books about sexual health and orientation, religious ideals, body image, mental health, and racial concerns, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some states are worse than others. For example, the same studies showed that 63% of all book bans from 2022\u201323 originated in just eight states: Florida, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Between them, these states have over 2,000 book bans. South Carolina pulls books from shelves before they are banned, only making them available after the book is reviewed. In Florida, challenged books are pulled and placed in the restricted section of libraries \u2014 an area that requires special permissions to access.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making books unavailable before they are banned is problematic because reviews can take a while to complete and legislation moves slowly, further preventing free access to information. Considering there were more than 4,000 official ban request submissions in the US between 2012 and 2023, that could add up to a lot of missed information.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IG4-641x1024.png\")
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Why Books Get Banned or Challenged in the US<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe biggest reason for book bans in the US (and worldwide) is sexual themes, as some governments or groups consider these topics to be taboo or inappropriate for certain age groups. Sexual topics include information about sexual orientation, gender identity, intercourse, body image, reproductive health, sexual abuse, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you can see in the table below, all five of the most banned or challenged books in the US in 2023 included LGBTQIA+ issues, sexual abuse, or sexually explicit content in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially created World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, 1995. The organization chose this date because many prominent writers died in April, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, Mark Twain, and Bram Stoker. The event is a global celebration of the impact of books, authors, literacy, and reading on communities and people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
World Book Day is celebrated by over 100 countries, and each year, UNESCO picks a new city as the World Book Capital. The World Book Capital for 2024 is Strasbourg, France. Strasbourg has a long history of celebrating literary culture and has started programs like Reading for the Planet<\/em>, a campaign that encourages youth to discuss environmental concerns and gain scientific knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n World Book Capitals are expected to promote reading and literature for a full year, starting on World Book Day. During their 12 months as a World Book Capital, cities run events and initiatives to encourage reading and promote literature. This includes a focus on instilling a love of reading in children and young adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth noting that the UK and Ireland celebrate their own World Book Day on the second Thursday of March (this year on the 7th) every year. Twice the chance to acknowledge the importance and impact of books is never a bad thing, so why not celebrate both?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freedom of speech and information hasn\u2019t stopped book bans in the US. A study by Every Library shows that 39 states already had active book-banning legislation in 2023, with a further 113 bills introduced throughout the year. Despite the number of attempted bans, 58% of our survey participants weren\u2019t aware of any legislation to ban books in their state. This is surprising, considering around 54% of our respondents don\u2019t think banning books is acceptable under any circumstance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The US isn\u2019t the only country that bans books \u2013 and alarmingly, Words Rated says that general non-fiction accounts for approximately 25% of all global book bans. The general non-fiction category is made up of books that don\u2019t easily fit into just one or two other categories (for example, something that covers finance, business, and economics). It includes books about factual human experiences and real events that could spark open discussion and change or offer comfort to others in the same or similar situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Book bans in the US are nothing new, and the list of banned or challenged books increases each year. Legislation records show that in 2022, over 2,500 different books were targeted for bans by multiple groups in the US. Unfortunately, these bans affect students and young adults the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies by PEN America showed 3,362 individual books across the US in the 2022\u20132023 school year, including 1,557 unique titles. This means that US students could be losing access to an average of 100+ new books each month. This includes books about sexual health and orientation, religious ideals, body image, mental health, and racial concerns, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some states are worse than others. For example, the same studies showed that 63% of all book bans from 2022\u201323 originated in just eight states: Florida, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Between them, these states have over 2,000 book bans. South Carolina pulls books from shelves before they are banned, only making them available after the book is reviewed. In Florida, challenged books are pulled and placed in the restricted section of libraries \u2014 an area that requires special permissions to access.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making books unavailable before they are banned is problematic because reviews can take a while to complete and legislation moves slowly, further preventing free access to information. Considering there were more than 4,000 official ban request submissions in the US between 2012 and 2023, that could add up to a lot of missed information.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest reason for book bans in the US (and worldwide) is sexual themes, as some governments or groups consider these topics to be taboo or inappropriate for certain age groups. Sexual topics include information about sexual orientation, gender identity, intercourse, body image, reproductive health, sexual abuse, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see in the table below, all five of the most banned or challenged books in the US in 2023 included LGBTQIA+ issues, sexual abuse, or sexually explicit content in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nSelective Reading \u2014 Book Bans in the US<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Book Bans in Schools<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhy Books Get Banned or Challenged in the US<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n