What is a book challenge and what is literary censorship?
According to the American Library Association, a book challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. Literary censorship refers to the suppression or attempted suppression of literary materials that would otherwise be free to access. Book challenges and bans fall under the umbrella of literary censorship.
What can literary censorship look like?
Censorship often manifests in small acts—a parent filing a complaint about a certain book available at their child’s school library, for instance. But these small acts often lead to much larger consequences, such as the suppression or silencing of equity-seeking writers and artists. Through education about Canada’s current level of censorship, we can work toward re-evaluating our roles as censors, and learn more about what we as a public are willing to give access to.
Key Findings (2018-2023)
While extensive research is still needed to determine the full extent of censorship in Canada, our data reveals many trends in the Southern Ontario region:
MOST CHALLENGED AUTHOR
Dr. Seuss. Many have filed challenges against Dr. Seuss books, specifically And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo.
MOST CHALLENGED BOOK
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This title was challenged and banned in schools and libraries due to racist language or tropes.
CHALLENGE REASON
Of all recorded reasons for literary challenging, our survey returned with the highest number of challenges or bans for titles with racist or harmful language.
CHALLENGE RESULTS
Based on our own survey, as well as data from the Centre for Free Expression and Canadian Federation of Library Associations, 30% of challenged books are retained and 19% are removed. That leaves 36% of challenge results unknown and 15% designated as other–e.g. events and readings.