Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022

October 1-7 is Banned Books Week, celebrating the freedom to read and raising awareness about the harms of censorship! ELPL condemns censorship and works to defend each person's right to read and ensure free access to information. We believe every person has the right to read (or not read!) whatever they choose. To this end, we strive to maintain a balanced and diverse collection for our community. The American Library Association (ALA) documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 book challenges reported in 2021. Of the record 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship last year, the most challenged titles are listed below.