While many books are removed from shelves after a lengthy and public review process, accounts are mounting where the titles were surreptitiously withdrawn from collections, says PW’s Andrew Albanese.

In a report released earlier this month, the American Library Association (ALA) counted 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship in schools and public libraries. The number of titles surged 65 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to ALA.

While many books are removed from shelves after a lengthy and public review process, accounts are mounting where the titles were surreptitiously withdrawn from collections, reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly executive editor.

On March 11, Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally, Gothamist reported that hundreds of new books featuring characters of color and LGBTQ themes were found among trash at Staten Island’s PS 55.

Some of the books, pictured in the report, were marked by sticky notes that indicated the titles were “not approved,” along with reasons such as “boy questions gender,” “teenage girls having a crush on another girl in class,” and “witchcraft.”

“A coalition of publishers whose books were discarded have teamed with the newly formed group Authors Against Book Bans to pen a letter to New York City’s Department of Education about the book removal,” Albanese says, call the alleged action “unlawful censorship [that] violates authors’ and students’ First Amendment rights.”

Every Friday, CCC’s “Velocity of Content” features the editors and reporters of Publishers Weekly for an early look at what news publishers, editors, authors, agents, and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.