Advocates from the American Library Association (ALA) and PEN America warn of the possibility of nationwide book bans under Donald Trump’s second presidency.
Book banning has skyrocketed across the nation in recent years, with conservatives leading the censorship movement. Conservatives from extreme far-right organizations like Moms for Liberty began inundating schools around the country with thousands of challenges and complaints levied at any book they dislike. Politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis quickly backed up their efforts, passing legislation to force teachers and librarians to pull books from shelves by the dozens to avoid potential criminal charges. More recently, states like Utah have gone as far as to instigate statewide book bans, with school board members in the state throwing book-banning parties and calling for book burnings.
The movement has grown increasingly unhinged, with conservatives calling the cops on librarians over books, schools redacting entire textbook chapters, and book banners calling on authors to “repent” for the supposed crime of writing books. Now, advocates fear that things will grow even worse due to Trump’s re-election.
America braces for heightened book bans under Trump
Advocates from the ALA and PEN’s Freedom to Read program spoke to The Hill recently about the possibility of federal book bans under Trump. Director of Freedom to Read Kasey Meehan confirmed book bans at the federal level are “certainly … a concern.” After all, Americans have watched as Republican states “have passed sensorial legislation that has led to book banning.” With Republicans in control of the House and Presidency, these state legislations could start appearing as federal policies. Meehan stated, “I think it’s something for us … to continue to be vigilant on and to be, you know, watching the extent to which state legislation that has led to book bans starts appearing as a potential federal policy.”
ALA president Cindy Hohl echoed Meehan’s concerns, noting how extreme book-banning measures have become in some states. She noted that there have been over 200 proposed bills at the state level to instigate statewide book bans and criminalize librarians. This occuring at the federal level is a very valid fear. She told The Hill:
Over the past two years, there have been over 200 bills in state legislatures proposing — and some that have passed — that would institute statewide book bans in school libraries and/or criminalized librarians for providing access to books that some people object to. So, to see that activity happen at that scale, if this would move to the federal level, I think it’s definitely a concern to Americans across the country
Meanwhile, there have been signs that these fears aren’t so far-fetched. House Republicans have met on the topic of book bans before, while Project 2025 also outlined plans for nationwide book bans and equating all books with any LGBTQ+ content to “pornography.” Even if Republicans fail to instigate nationwide book bans, it’s very likely that book bans will increase at the state level under Trump. After all, he has already touted plans of stripping schools of federal funding and defunding schools that teach anything other than the right-wing agenda. It’s a move that would give states greater control over funds and curriculums. In conservative states, it’s not hard to imagine those funds going to costly book-banning measures.
Book banning has already reached dystopian levels in some states, making it quite terrifying that Republicans may try to push their efforts to the federal level under Trump.
Published: Nov 22, 2024 05:45 pm