Statewide book bans are happening
How did it get to this point?
Nationwide, libraries and K-12 school districts are spending taxpayer dollars to respond to challenges. Those costs can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, according to EveryLibrary, a national organization that supports libraries across the country.
- The legislature of Washington State proactively passed a bill in 2024 that blocks book challenges from people who aren’t parents or direct guardians of a child in a Washington school district.
- In Florida, H.B. 1285 , which went into effect on July 1, 2024, specifies that persons who are not the parent or guardian of a student “with access to school district materials” may only object to a maximum of one material per month (however, there is no limit to the number of objections parents or guardians may make).
- And even in South Carolina, the recent statewide book ban law specifies that any parent with a child enrolled in a public K-12 school in the state can only challenge up to five titles a month if they feel those titles violate the terms laid out in the bill..