Number of book challenges nationwide doubled from 2021 as book ban movement gathers speed in Republican-led states

Texas made the most attempts to ban or restrict books in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association (ALA).

Last year, there were 1,269 documented censorship attempts to restrict 2,571 unique titles – the highest number ever recorded by ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom and double the 729 book challenges made in 2021.

Texas made 93 attempts to restrict access to over 2,300 books.

The book ban movement, has been gaining speed in recent years across the US, particularly in Republican-led states, and is becoming a central theme in religious-political activism. Often the books contain issues related to LGBTQ+ communities or race.