(Nov 2025) High in the hills overlooking Taipei, in a nondescript office tucked within one of the many buildings at the National Chengchi University, sits an unassuming collection of a few hundred Vietnamese-language books. There’s no sign to announce it or posters to promote it. It’s not even a formal library—just a small collection. But…
(5 Feb 2025) Libraries in Taiwan are now offering tens of thousands of books that have been banned in Hong Kong due to the government’s ongoing crackdown on politically sensitive content, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA). Hong Kong’s bookstores were once famous for their wide range of books, including controversial and politically radical works. According…
(27 Aug 2023) Requests to ban books at US public schools and libraries surged to a 21-year record in 2022, according to data from the American Library Association. Last year, the ALA recorded 1,050 requests to censor library books in 2022, a 70% increase over the 619 requests in 2021. There were 13 book titles…
(8 Sep 2023) Some 10 children’s books on sex education have been ousted from 36 public libraries in South Chungcheong Province since July 25, after civic and parents groups complained that they justify homosexuality or promote the premature sexualization of children. The Korean Coalition for Anti-discrimination Legislation, along with over 300 local residents, filed…
(16 Sep 2022) The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday. Numbers for 2022 already approach last year’s totals, which were the highest in decades. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “It’s both the number…
(30 Jan 2022) From New York Times: Parents, activists, school board officials and lawmakers around the country are challenging books at a pace not seen in decades. The American Library Association said in a preliminary report that it received an “unprecedented” 330 reports of book challenges, each of which can include multiple books, last…
(7 Feb 2022) The international subscription service Scribd has on Friday (February 4) announced that it’s making banned books available to read without charge–and without a credit card or other commitment required. The editorial team has curated a list of “Books Being Banned Right Now,” and the site also carries another, “List of Frequently…
(3 Dec 2020) A children’s book that local politicians have said glorifies China’s COVID-19 response has been banned in Taiwan, after its publisher was found to have not applied for permission for it to be distributed, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) said Wednesday. As the picture book “Waiting for Dad to Come Home” (等爸爸回家) was…
(27 Sept 2020) The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) released the Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books from the past decade. The list’s release launches Banned Books Week, Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, a vibrant week of programming to rally readers to the cause of First Amendment protections and remind them to…
(9 Dec 2019) Staff at a public library in northwest China have set fire to “banned books” in front of the building, sparking anger online and drawing comparisons with the actions of a ruthless emperor during the Qin dynasty. According to a report on the county government website of Zhenyuan, Gansu province, the library did…