American PEN Association Report on Thousands of Banned Books in Some U.S. Schools

On the occasion of "Banned Books Week," the American PEN Association has released a report stating that the number of books on the "banned books list" in some public schools in the United States last academic year was "almost three times" that of previous years. The association announced on Monday, October 2, that in the 2024-2023 academic year, the number of banned books in some public school libraries in the U.S. reached over 10,000 titles, while the previous year, the number of banned books was about 3,360. According to ABC News, about 8,000 of these books were banned in just two states, Florida and Iowa, which have restrictive laws regarding sexual content, gender issues, and matters related to queer individuals. "Banned Books Week" is an annual event supported by Amnesty International and the "American Library Association." The American PEN Association, a prominent organization defending freedom of expression, attributed the increase in banned books to the implementation of strict and widespread regulations to control educational content in public schools. In its statement, the association emphasized that "laws and regulations passed at the state level have accelerated the process of banning books in schools, resulting in more books being banned in schools without going through the complete legal process and sometimes even without any standards." Iowa passed a law last year banning books on sexual orientation or gender identity for students before seventh grade. Under this law, the ban on books that describe sexual behaviors continues until the end of high school. In Florida, any book that is complained about for various reasons is banned in educational institutions until the investigations are concluded. In both Iowa and Florida, multiple lawsuits have been filed due to the implementation of these controversial regulations. One of these lawsuits in Iowa was filed by several major publishers, groups of students and their parents, as well as queer teachers, calling for the new laws to be overturned; however, the federal appeals court ultimately dismissed the lawsuit. Nevertheless, more lawsuits are expected to be submitted in this regard. Additionally, six major American publishers have sued Florida over the banning of hundreds of their titles, describing the new laws as "unconstitutional." According to the American PEN Association, three states, Utah, South Carolina, and Tennessee, have also recently implemented regulations related to banning certain books in public schools. The association noted that Utah has enacted and enforced the "strictest" law among these states. The American PEN Association also stated that most of the books that are banned are related to non-white individuals or gender minorities. According to The Guardian, at least 13 books have made it to the banned books list for the first time. One of these books is "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," a famous work by African American author Alex Haley, which narrates the journey of a slave from Africa to America. The Guardian also mentioned another book, "Go Tell It on the Mountain," a fictional and semi-autobiographical work by African American writer and playwright James Baldwin, which takes place in Harlem, New York. The American PEN Association has announced that it will publish the exact number of books banned in public schools in the states in the coming months.