Book Bans in the United States

Project Overview

This project, part of the WuMSDS Data Visualization Course final project, focuses on storytelling through the lens of book bans in the United States. We explore the impact these bans have on K-12 schools and the broader implications for education and society.

Authors

• Alaina Holland
• Jordyn Irwin

Date Presented

• December 5, 2023

Data Source

• PEN America

Project Context

Imagine you are part of the American Library Association. Over the past two years, there have been 5,894 books banned in K-12 schools across the United States. This project aims to highlight the importance of these bans and why they matter.

Why Should You Care if a Book Gets Banned?

Books provide:

• Access to Diversity in Education
• Encouragement of Critical Thinking through Exposure
• Promotion of Equal Access
• Safeguarding of Freedom of Expression
• Development of Cultural Understanding

In the 2022-2023 academic year, Texas and Florida led in the number of book bans, with Texas banning at least 500 books and Florida banning over 750 books.

Themes in Banned Books

Banned books often cover themes such as:

• Identity
• Coming-of-Age
• Social Issues
• Acceptance and Belonging
• Friendship and Relationships

Project Outcome

The primary outcome of this project was to create a polished graphic that effectively tells a story about book bans in the United States. Our goal was to visually communicate the data and its implications in a compelling and accessible manner.

Explore our interactive graphic on Plotly to visualize the data on book bans.

Presentation

You can view the full presentation here.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out.

Additional Information

For more details and to explore the data further, please visit:

• PEN America
• Interactive Graphic

Data Description

The data for this project is sourced from PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans. It includes:

• Title
• Author
• School District
• State

Data Links

• PEN America Index 2021-2022
• PEN America Index 2022-2023

The data covers the period from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023, and highlights restrictions on student access to books in US school libraries or classrooms. Some bans have been lifted, while others are ongoing.

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This portfolio piece provides an overview of our project on book bans in the United States, highlighting the importance of books in education and the impact of restricting access. We hope this project sheds light on the significance of preserving freedom of expression and access to diverse literary resources.