School Book Removals Reach Record Levels in Latest Censorship Study
School districts across the United States removed a record number of books from libraries and curricula during the 2025-26 school year, according to research released by PEN America, an organization tracking censorship. A total of 114 districts banned books nearly 12,000 times, affecting over 7,300 individual titles in what marks the highest five-year figure on record. The bans reflect escalating disputes over classroom and library materials.
Book removal requests in American schools have intensified significantly over the past five years, culminating in an unprecedented volume during the most recent school year. The research documenting this trend comes from PEN America, an organization that monitors attempts to restrict access to written materials in educational settings. The scale of these removals—affecting thousands of distinct titles across more than a hundred school districts—illustrates the breadth of disagreement over what content should be available to students.
School book restrictions may influence students' exposure to diverse perspectives and ideas during formative years. Parents, educators, and administrators could experience ongoing tension over curriculum decisions, while libraries and teachers may face constraints in their collection-building practices. The trend could have broader implications for how communities navigate disagreements about age-appropriate content, intellectual freedom in schools, and the role of various stakeholders in educational decisions.