NEARLY 12,000 BOOKS BANNED IN SCHOOLS

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 5 /SRNA/ - Nearly 12,000 books were removed from the libraries of US public schools over the past year, the highest number since censorship of titles in educational institutions across the United States has been tracked, a new study by free expression organization PEN America has found.

"Stephen King is the author whose works have been removed most frequently for the second consecutive year. Themes of racism, sexuality and gender identity remain the most common reasons books are challenged," the organization said in its report titled "Banned in the USA".

More than 4,500 books appeared on the list of banned works for the first time, ranging from the 19th-century classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë to Sui Ishida’s manga series Tokyo Ghoul.

"Book bans restrict the freedom to read, denying students access to the diversity of ideas, voices, perspectives and literature they deserve to encounter," the PEN report said.

PEN found that school administrations are increasingly using artificial intelligence to determine which books should be removed.

The report was published today ahead of the start of Banned Books Week, an event during which schools, libraries and other venues across the country hold events drawing attention to censorship.