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(NEW YORK) — As schools and libraries across the country face record-breaking attempts to remove books from shelves, most Americans oppose book restrictions in public schools, according to a new poll.
In 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) documented 4,240 unique book titles affected by censorship, as well as 1,247 requests for censorship of library books, materials, and resources.
Targeting of unique book titles increased 65% from 2022 to 2023, reaching the highest level ever documented by the ALA.
These efforts have intensified alongside state laws restricting certain school content on topics such as race, sex, gender and more.
However, a new study by the Knight Foundation – a nonprofit organization that awards grants for journalism and the arts – found that two-thirds of Americans oppose efforts to restrict book sales. There are more staunch opponents than staunch supporters of book restrictions, with the ratio of those surveyed being 3:1.
According to the study, 62% of Americans oppose their state government dictating what content is allowed in school textbooks.
Parents who educate their children in public schools are more likely to support a book ban, but more than half of parents (59%) are still against it, less than the 67% opposition rate among non-parents.
About 7% of parents of reading-age children said their child was reading an inappropriate book from school, and 25% of parents of preschool and secondary school-age children were concerned that this could happen in the future.
Content restrictions for classroom or library use are often based on concerns about what is considered “age-appropriate” for certain age groups—as is the case in legislation in Florida, Utah, Texas, and other states.
More survey respondents said that denying students access to books with educational value was more problematic than denying them access to books with inappropriate content, particularly among middle and high school students.
Six out of 10 survey respondents said age appropriateness was a legitimate reason to deny students access to books. However, far fewer respondents said it was legitimate to deny access to books that contradict parents’ political views, religious beliefs or moral values, according to the report.
Most parents of children in public schools are confident in the appropriateness of their school’s book selections. The study also found that 78% of adults say they are confident that their community’s public schools select appropriate books for students.
Although the public has a strong interest in the issue – 62 percent think it is extremely important – very few have taken action themselves. According to the report, only 3 percent have personally participated in the debate – 2 percent are in favor of maintaining access and 1 percent are in favor of restricting access.
Conservatives are overrepresented in support of book restrictions. According to the Knight Foundation, they make up 57% of supporters of book restrictions, but only 27% of all adults. Conservatives also feel less politically represented in school textbooks.
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