Books have always been an important part of society and the education of young minds. They are the foundation for the entire world  today. However, some groups are campaigning to have certain books removed from public shelves.

According to The American Library Association, there have been 1,269 attempts to ban books and other resources in libraries andschools, which increased during the time of the pandemic. This has now become the highest number of complaints since the organization started tracking the censorship 20 years ago.

School boards and communities, specifically in Texas, have long been split over what type of books belong on library shelves, an issue that has been negatively amplified by social media and political campaigns. 

Most prominently, books that contain controversal subjects like L.G.B.T.Q. rights, gender identity, and racial inequality have become a proxy in a border culture war between organizations, with some believing that kids shouldn’t be subject to those topics.

It’s been reported that 60% of complaints that the association tracked were directed at books and materials in public schools and that parents of students at those schools have demanded that they be more involved in what their child can or can not read

To “solve” the situation, Republicans in the House introduced a “Parents Bill of Rights,” which requires that parents have access to “a list of the books and other reading materials available in the library of their child’s school.” 

This has led to negative feedback from librarians and teachers, who argue that the notion of parental rights should not enable a small group of parents to decide what books all other students and families can access.