Report: “Virginia Schools Removed 200-Plus Different Books From Libraries, Report Finds”

From The Virginian-Pilot:

Most Virginia school divisions surveyed by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission did not remove any books from school libraries based on content in the last five years. But a handful of divisions account for the vast majority of the 223 different book titles that were removed based on content during that time.

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“The top five divisions accounted for 75% of all book removal activities,” said Justin Brown, senior associate director at JLARC, who presented the group’s findings to the legislative committee members Monday.

The book removals were concentrated in Hanover, which removed 125 book titles; Rockingham, which removed 57; and Goochland, which removed 34. In Hampton Roads, divisions that reported having removed books for reasons other than normal wear and tear generally reported removals in lower numbers if at all. Virginia Beach removed 16 different books; York County removed seven; Chesapeake removed two; and Williamsburg-James City County removed one.

Newport News, Portsmouth and Hampton school divisions said they did not remove any books based on content, and Norfolk Public Schools did not respond to the survey.

Learn More, Read the Complete Article

Direct to Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission Report: School Library Book Removals in Virginia (2025)
25 pages; PDF.

Filed under: Libraries, News, School Libraries