ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As a nationwide surge in book bannings continues, researchers say Florida led the nation during the 2022-23 school year in the number of book bans.
In a report from PEN America, a nonprofit organization aimed at protecting "free expression" in literature and for writers, researchers recorded 3,362 instances of book bans in public school classrooms and libraries across the United States. These book bans took place during the 2022-23 school year, according to the organization.
Of those 3,362 instances, 1,557 were unique book titles and included works of more than 1,480 authors, illustrators and translators. Compared to the previous school year, the number of book ban instances increased by 33 percent, the report said.
Here in Florida, more than 40 percent of all book bans last school year in the U.S. happened within the Sunshine State, PAN America said. A total of 1,406 book ban cases across 33 districts were recorded in Florida. Texas, Missouri, Utah and Pennsylvania followed far behind to round out the Top 5 states with the most book bans. For number totals and deeper analysis, click here.
PEN America says most book bans are classified as "banned pending investigation," meaning the titles are removed from shelves even before a review to determine whether the book needs to be restricted has taken place. This means the books could potentially remain off classroom and library shelves indefinitely.
"Authors whose books are targeted are most frequently female, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+ individuals," the report said in part. "Amid a growing climate of censorship, school book bans continue to spread through coordinated campaigns by a vocal minority of groups and individual actors and, increasingly, as a result of pressure from state legislation."
According to the Florida Department of Education, school districts across the state issued a combined total of 386 book bans after getting a total of 1,218 objections during the 2022-23 school year.
And of the 386 book bans issued last year, 300 of them covered only three school districts: Clay County where Friedman lives (177 books banned), Martin County (98) and Manatee County (25). There are 67 school districts in Florida altogether. Fifty-one of those districts (including Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Citrus counties) did not remove a single book from school shelves in 2022, according to the FLDOE's report.
Book bans and attempted bans in 2023 continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association. Through the first eight months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and services, compared to 681 during the same time period last year, and a 20% jump in the number of “unique titles” involved to 1,915. School libraries had long been the predominant target, but in 2023 reports have been near-equally divided between schools and libraries open to the general public.
10 Tampa Bay's Andrew Polino and The Associated Press contributed to this report.