Book bans are becoming more prevalent across the U.S., with Maryland ranking prominently, as per a recent report by PEN America, a nonprofit that monitors issues related to free expression. The report places Maryland in a tie with South Carolina for ninth place in the number of books banned during the 2022-2023 academic year.
The findings indicate that three Maryland school districts collectively banned 64 books. Carroll County led the bans, responsible for removing 59 titles following the implementation of a new policy that bars any book containing sexually explicit content. This policy has received strong support from Moms for Liberty, a national group advocating for parental rights in schools.
Tasslyn Magnusson, a senior advisor with PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, highlighted that while parents have historically raised concerns about books for their children, the current motivations behind bans have changed. “There are people who don’t want to read the titles but submit large challenges – 20, 30, 40 books at a time – and it’s not about their child and their family,” Magnusson said. “It’s about all the students, and it’s much more ideological and driven by much more political interests across the country.”
Books banned in Maryland include significant literary works such as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
The report from PEN America also highlighted the uneven distribution of book bans across the nation. Iowa and Florida accounted for more than 80% of the books banned during the last school year. Overall, 29 states reported at least one banned book in their school systems.
Magnusson underscored the need for community support for librarians and the promotion of diverse literature. “You need to go into the public comment time of your school board meeting or send messages to your administration, before things happen in your community, about how much you love your librarians,” she said. “Talk about how much you love diverse, inclusive literature that prepares your children for the world that they live in.”
In an effort to address the trend, Maryland has enacted legislative measures. In April 2024, Governor Wes Moore signed the Freedom to Read Act into law, which mandates that school officials cannot remove books based on ideological, religious, or partisan objections.
The report sheds light not only on the increasing prevalence of book bans but also on the need for sustained efforts to uphold intellectual freedom and ensure that a variety of perspectives remain available in school libraries.
No pornography in children’s schools and libraries. How hard is that to Comprehend? Books for children need to be age appropriate. Any sane person would agree to that unless they have a hidden agenda.