Maintaining Diverse Collections in the Face of Book Challenges

In recent years, there has been a surge of attempts to censor library books across America, leading to record numbers of challenges in 2022 and 2023. According to ALA, in 2023 titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts. These represent the tip of the iceberg as documented book challenges do not include self-censorship on the part of publishers (such as Scholastic's controversial attempt to segregate diverse titles in 2023) or by librarians making purchasing decisions in hostile environments. The EDI Committee will be discussing censorship from an EDI perspective and suggesting best practices for navigating challenges related to book selection and access.