Book banning has been around since the beginning of literature, but it became more prevalent in 2022, when The American Library Association reported more book challenges that year than any prior in the 21st century.
That same year, the Brooklyn Public Library launched the Books Unbanned initiative. San Diego joined in 2024. Misty Jones, director of the San Diego Public Library, said the program is a valuable resource for young readers.
“The Books Unbanned project really provides access to e-books throughout the nation for books that are being pulled off the shelves that people cannot access anymore,” Jones said.
The program now includes five public library systems: Seattle, Los Angeles County, Boston, Long Beach and San Diego.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of the Library Foundation San Diego, said the Books Unbanned is about protecting one of our most basic freedoms.
“The idea of banning books is a direct affront to one of our most sacred civil liberties and that is the First Amendment Freedom of Speech,” Stewart said. “It's an affront to our intellectual freedom and an ability for us to make personal decisions on what we or our children have access to.”
Some of the most frequently challenged books include "Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren't Blue” by George M. Johnson — the most challenged title in 2024, according to the American Library Association. Both are among San Diego’s top 10 most checked-out titles in the Books Unbanned program.
Jones echoed Stewart, emphasizing that restricting access to books undermines the foundation of a fee society.
“That's what living in a free democracy is about ... we have the right to read what we want. We have the right to access that information,” she said. “If you're going to limit and try to ban people from access to information, that is really going backward, and that's not where we want to be. ”
Many states across the county have growing lists of banned books. Florida and Iowa recorded the highest numbers in the 2023-24 school year, according to PEN America — with Florida totaling more than 4,500 bans and Iowa over 3,600.
In contrast, California’s Freedom to Read Act, officially Assembly Bill 1825, prohibits public libraries from banning books based on content.
Officials say more than 6,000 young people have registered for a Books Unbanned library card in San Diego, resulting in about 1,500 checkouts over the past two years. Stewart said having access to these books helps young readers form their identities.
“They give us that opportunity to draw parallels with experiences that are both like ours, that help us make sense of who we are in our environment,” he said. “As well as experiences that are unlike ours, that help us make sense of the other and how we fit in and how we come together as a community.”
