Banned Books Board Screensaver
The Banned Books Board screensaver rotates through the real annual list of the most frequently challenged books in U.S. libraries and schools, from the American Library Association's own report. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
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Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Banned Books Board screensaver works
The saver displays the real annual "most challenged books" list published by the American Library Association.
Each entry shows the real book title, real author and a real reported reason for challenge, where published.
Entries rotate through the current real list on a timer.
The board updates once each real year when the ALA publishes its new list.
What the ALA means by a challenged book
The American Library Association tracks attempts to remove or restrict books in libraries and schools through its Office for Intellectual Freedom. It defines a challenge as an attempt to remove or restrict materials based on the objections of a person or group, and a banning as the actual removal of those materials. The annual lists therefore rank books by the number of challenges reported, which is not the same as the number of books taken off shelves.
The counts reflect only incidents that become known to the association. Reports come from librarians and others who submit them and from coverage in the press. A former director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom once said that for each reported challenge, four or five likely go unreported, so the list is a sample of recorded activity, not a census. A single request can target several titles, and organised campaigns can generate many challenges to the same book, which affects rankings.
The reasons attached to a title are the ones given by those who objected, recorded as reported. They are the complainants’ stated grounds, not the ALA’s assessment of the books. Rankings change from year to year and are published annually, so the display reflects a particular year’s reported challenges, not a permanent verdict on any book.
A worked example
A widely reported real challenged title appears in rotation with the real reason cited in the ALA's own published report.
Settings & tips
- Accent recolours the book cards.
- The list reflects the ALA's own real published data, not opinion.
- This is a factual awareness board, presented neutrally.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the real official list?
- Yes — the real annual list published by the American Library Association.
- Is a key needed?
- No — the list is a curated real annual record.
- How often does the list change?
- Once a year, when the ALA publishes its new real report.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- What is the difference between a challenge and a ban?
- The ALA defines a challenge as an attempt to remove or restrict materials, and a banning as the removal of those materials. Many challenges end with the book staying available.
- Does the list include every challenged book?
- No. It ranks titles from the reports the association receives or finds in the press, and the association has said many challenges are never reported.
- Who decides the reasons shown?
- They are the reasons stated by the people filing the challenge, not a judgement by the ALA about the books.