Responding with Policy

Abstract

How many ways can you say unprecedented? Unequaled? Unmatched? When the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom released its data for book challenges in 2022 the headlines were glaring. “A record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color” (American Library Association, 2023). When I give interviews, I am often asked, “When will it end?” My answer: “I don’t know. All we can do is be prepared, gather our allies, and respond appropriately.”