Banned Books

Starting in 2020, we have seen a sharp rise in book challenges and bans across the U.S., in both public schools and public libraries—as written about repeatedly in local and national news. These challenges have been accompanied by state and local politicians' grandstanding about librarians' work and core values. For example, Texas legislator Matt Krause released a list of over 850 books his office thought shouldn't be in libraries. A Republican bill in Wisconsin targets so-called "obscene" books in school libraries. Most of these contemporary book bans involve books with authors or protagonists who are queer or people of color.

This talk will discuss the roots of the rise in book challenges and how we see this playing out across the nation. In addition, we'll explore what non-librarians can do about this ongoing book banning. How can we contribute to the protection of libraries, their collections, and intellectual freedom in our communities?

Shannon M. Oltmann is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky. She obtained her Ph.D. from Indiana University. Her research interests include information ethics, censorship, intellectual freedom, and public libraries. Oltmann is the past editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy and Associate Editor of Library Quarterly. She wrote the book Practicing Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, and edited The Fight Against Book Bans: Perspectives from the Field, released in June 2023. Oltmann's work has been funded by the American Library Association and the Institute of Museum & Library Services. She has presented her research at numerous academic and professional conferences and published widely.

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