ALA president warns of rising book challenges and state‑level threats to libraries
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Summary
Dr. Maria McCauley told Simsbury listeners that ALA recorded 821 reported attempts to censor library materials last year and highlighted state bills and directives (including Arizona HB2008, draft Wyoming language and a Tennessee directive) as current threats to collection access.
At Simsbury Public Library, Dr. Maria McCauley, president of the American Library Association, warned that challenges to library collections are widespread and often targeted. "Last year, there were 821 attempts to censor library books and materials across all library types reported to ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom," she said, and identified LGBTQ titles, civil‑rights works and stories about people of color among the most commonly challenged.
McCauley outlined recent state actions she described as threats to library operations: Connecticut passed two 'freedom to read' measures in 2023 and 2025; a Massachusetts 'act regarding freedom of expression' has passed the Senate and is under House consideration; Arizona's HB2008 would prohibit public school libraries from using public funds to pay dues to professional associations; Wyoming considered broadly worded requirements with proposed fines of up to $50,000 per violation; and a Tennessee notice from the secretary of state urged collection reviews citing a presidential executive order on gender identity, a step ALA and major publishers have publicly denounced.
McCauley said ALA provides resources to respond, including the Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation, and urged local librarians and trustees to report censorship threats and to use regional help lines and chapter advocacy workshops for legal and practical support.
