A PEN America study released on 1 September 2026 found that US public libraries are under severe stress from ideological attacks, including verbal and physical threats to librarians, funding cuts, and proliferating book bans. The report characterizes the sector as being at a breaking point.
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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’ indepe