School Age Programs and Services Committee: Challenges Are Escalating: How to Prepare for Program Challenges

Abstract

Book bans have garnered national attention this past year with a surge of challenges in both school and public libraries. But books aren’t the only front in the so-called culture wars. Library staff increasingly need to respond to challenges to programming, as well.

The number of program challenges reported to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has grown over the past ten years from one or none each year to a peak of sixty-nine challenges in 2019. And these are just the instances that have been reported to the OIF. Most challenges go unreported.

Programs related to LGBTQ+ themes are the most likely to be challenged. Of the forty-two reported challenges in 2022, 81 percent were in response to LGBTQ+ events.