Texas challenged fewer book titles in 2023
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Texas saw a decrease in the number of book titles challenged last year compared to 2022, according to the American Library Association.
Why it matters: The state fell behind Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania in book ban attempts last year after leading the nation in 2022.
- The state is still second only to Florida in the number of individual titles challenged.
State of play: In 2023, 1,470 titles were challenged in Texas, nearly 1,000 fewer than in 2022.
- There were 49 censorship attempts last year, down from 93 in 2022. Some of last year's attempts listed more than 100 titles.
Yes, but: Book bans are still alive and well in Central Texas.
- The Lake Travis school district board recently voted to remove from school libraries "The Haters," a young-adult novel.
- And a decision by Llano County commissioners to purge books at the public libraries continues to reverberate in the rural area.
The big picture: Book ban attempts increased by 65% last year nationwide, even with the decrease in Texas.
- Librarians perceive the threat from the book-banning movement as so profound that they're using the more expansive term "intellectual freedom challenges" instead, Axios' Jennifer Kingson writes.
The intrigue: The Texas legislature passed a law last year that would limit what books students can check out from their school libraries.
- It was challenged before it could go into effect, and in January the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the law, siding with a lower court that the legislation was unconstitutional.
What's next: The American Library Association will release on April 8 its top 10 most challenged books list during National Library Week.