In 2023, Connecticut was one of 11 states that saw attempts to censor more than 100 books in public and school libraries, according to preliminary data from the American Library Association.

The ALA said that the number of challenged books jumped 20% compared to the 2022 reporting period, a record-breaking year for attempted bans in the U.S. According to the group, the bulk of the challenges targeted “books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

After a year that saw censorship attempts in towns and schools across the state, librarians in Connecticut are sounding the alarm on a trend that they say puts marginalized groups, and democracy, at risk. None of the challenges was successful.

“It isn’t a secret that libraries across the country are facing an unprecedented number of challenges to library materials and services,” Sarah McCusker, president of the Connecticut Library Association, said at a banned book panel discussion held by concerned librarians and legislators at the state Capitol this month.

“While we here in Connecticut may feel sometimes that this is a problem that largely happens elsewhere, that’s not true,” McCusker added. “More than 100 titles were challenged during the first eight months of 2023. This puts us in the company of Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida and Texas.”

‘There was no forewarning’

McCusker and other librarians emphasized that news coverage this year represented “just the tip of the iceberg” and that the 2023 data only reflects challenges that were reported.

Samantha Lee, a privacy advocate for the Library Freedom Project and the co-chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee for the Connecticut Library Association, said the total instances of challenges were estimated at about 50 over the last two years. (Some challenges included more than one book.)

Prior to “the deluge,” Lee told the Courant that the Intellectual Freedom Committee would typically receive a phone call once every three months with one-off privacy or book challenge questions.

That all shifted at the end of 2021, when Lee said she started to see the national trend “start to play out in Connecticut.”

“Once the challenges started, the tenor changed,” Lee said.

Lee described how some patrons began to bypass established channels to question book selections with librarians and instead opted for heated social media campaigns.

“They would just get people angry online, ferment all this discontent and then storm either school board meetings or library board meetings,” Lee said. “We were suddenly seeing people use awful names and call library workers ‘groomers’ or ‘pornographers.’ It was really jarring because it came out of nowhere. There was no forewarning.”

Lee said the criticism in some towns escalated to threats of violence against librarians. She said that librarians would find their addresses, vehicle makes and models, or their children’s school name posted online, with suggestions that people follow them or “mail a package.”

“It was obviously deeply upsetting, because they’re just doing their jobs, they’re providing books to the public. They’re providing a place for kids to explore their curiosity and find books that they would love to read and explore new ideas and learn. And that messaging had gotten corrupted and turned into, ‘oh, these are dangerous people because they’re peddling dangerous ideas to our kids,’” Lee said.

While Lee said that no book challenge succeeded in censoring a title from a Connecticut library, the same can not be said for other parts of the country.

The American Library Association said censorship occurred in 220 school districts and 208 public libraries between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of 2023. Additionally, “Legislation of Concern for Libraries” passed in 14 state houses this year, according to EveryLibrary.

‘Political acceptability’

Analysts credit the national acceleration of book challenges to the rise of “parents’ rights” groups, such as Moms for Liberty, a rapidly expanding grassroots movement of the far right that was labeled as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group disputes this characterization.

The chapters of the group have disseminated guidance on book bans, and issued content ratings based on racial commentary, gender identity, and sexual themes in books. Members of the group have also led censorship campaigns across the country.

An analysis from PEN America found that 81% of the school districts that banned a book during the 2022-23 school year were in or adjacent to a county with a Moms for Liberty chapter or similar parents’ rights groups.

In October the Hartford County chapter of Moms for Liberty held a “Symposium on parental rights” in Avon. The event drew protesters who rallied in support of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups. Many of the signs focused on book challenges and included messages such as “Read books, don’t ban them,” and “Let freedom read.”

Ahead of the symposium, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz described Moms For Liberty as “the group behind the book bans that are occurring all over the country and all over Connecticut.”

In a statement to the Courant, the Hartford County chapter of Moms for Liberty disputed their involvement with book challenges in the state. The chapter confirmed that members of the group have brought challenges to local school libraries, but they said these individuals acted on their own and not at the chapter’s direction.

They also argued that censoring a title within a library is not tantamount to a book ban, because the books are still available for purchase.

“We have never asked any library in Connecticut, or in our county especially, to ban a book,” the Moms for Liberty Hartford County chapter said. “All we are saying is the book should be age appropriate.”

On social media, the chapter has spoken in opposition to specific titles, which the group labeled as “pornographic books marketed to minors.” These books, “Gender Queer,” “This Book Is Gay,” “Flamer,” and “Let’s Talk About It,” include discussions of sex and LGBTQ+ inclusive themes and, according to Lee, are among the most challenged titles in Connecticut.

In the statement to the Courant, the chapter denied accusations that Moms for Liberty is racist, transphobic, homophobic or extremist.

The chapter told the Courant they respect the rights of adults to make decisions; in posts and reposts on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the chapter shared material discussing “Trans terrorism,” the “Trans Mind-Virus,” and “Trans Propaganda.”

The chapter told the Courant that they oppose gender-affirming health care for minors. They spoke against the “added burden” of gender pronouns and said children should not make choices about sexuality or gender identity until they are adults.

The chapter said the group is not advocating for the removal of controversial titles from libraries, but they would like to see more oversight and parent involvement. The chapter also suggested keeping some material behind the librarian’s desk and issuing parental consent forms.

Connecticut Association of School Librarians President Jenny Lussier said libraries already respect family boundaries while maintaining access for other patrons.

“If a family comes to me and says, ‘You know what, my kids are not ready for this,’ then I will absolutely respect that. But do I want one family to say what all kids have access to? Definitely not,” Lussier said.

Lee added that titles containing sexual themes are not on display in sections for young readers.

“These books are not located in the children’s department for them to stumble upon, but they are located in places where the people who need those books will find them easily. And quite frankly, our teens and our young adults need to have information on how to have healthy relationships and engage in activities that are safe,” Lee said.

Lee said that as more and more attempted book bans gain media attention, it “changes the Overton window of political acceptability.”

“When you start attacking those books, it becomes acceptable to then attack those ideas. And once you attack those ideas, it’s not a leap to then attack those people and attack those communities and then turn them into others again. And once we’ve decided that they are others, it’s really easy to then legislate hate and reinforce that systemic prejudice,” Lee said. “That’s what I don’t want to see.”

As no book challenge in Connecticut has resulted in a library ban thus far, Lee and Lussier said they are somewhat optimistic heading into 2024.

Lussier and Lee emphasized what they said is the importance of staffing libraries with full-time, certified media specialists as well as maintaining clear reconsideration and collection development policies.

They said such policies provide channels for community members to question books while safeguarding against censorship and First Amendment infringement.

“We really, encourage all of our members, (to) be ready, have all your documents ready, have all of the procedures and policies. … Make sure that your administrators know (the rules) so that when something does happen, you are fully prepared,” Lussier said.

In the face of challenges, other libraries took stronger measures, like the Ferguson Library in Stamford, which became the first in the state to declare itself a “Book Sanctuary.”

Lussier said that even just five years ago, she could not have imagined the “heartbreaking and frustrating” situation that Connecticut libraries face today. But, she said rising legislative interest in safeguarding book access makes her “extremely hopeful” for the future.

Both Lussier and Lee said that in these moments, it’s important to remember the library’s mission, and what the institution means for democracy.

“The library is a place for all the books and all the different ideas to live and be available for the community,” Lee said. “I think there are plenty of people who are paying attention and who know their history, who understand their First Amendment rights — I think they will continue to advocate for books and for libraries.

“I hope that our past wins will continue to keep growing, that people understand that libraries are for everyone, that intellectual freedom is important (and) that we are celebrating free speech in libraries every day, all day long.”