The Guardian · US news · Original story
US public libraries at ‘breaking point’ amid ideological attacks, report finds
PEN America study details verbal and physical threats to librarians, funding cuts and proliferation of book bans
Public libraries in the US are “at breaking point” because of an onslaught of political interference, harassment and ideological censorship, a new report published on Tuesday said.
Book bans, cancelled story hours, attacks on librarians, funding cuts and the undoing of libraries’ independent governance are examined by the free expression advocacy group PEN America in its study called Out of Circulation: Expanding Censorship in Public Libraries.
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Richard Luscombe · Tue, Sep 1, 2026, 5:30 AM
US news | The Guardian
PEN America study details verbal and physical threats to librarians, funding cuts and proliferation of book bans
Public libraries in the US are “at breaking point” because of an onslaught of political interference, harassment and ideological censorship, a new report published on Tuesday said.
Book bans, cancelled story hours, attacks on librarians, funding cuts and the undoing of libraries’ independent governance are examined by the free expression advocacy group PEN America in its study called Out of Circulation: Expanding Censorship in Public Libraries.
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