Ideas are powerful. That’s why the right to free expression includes the freedom to read whatever we choose. But it’s also why state governments and local school districts have attempted to restrict access to books in school libraries and classrooms.
The state legislature has enacted several laws in the past few years that increase school censorship and limit access to school library books. In 2023, the legislature passed Senate Bill 49, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which prohibits instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality in the curriculum for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Since the law was implemented, there has been confusion and controversy about whether the provision applies to school library books. In 2026, lawmakers called officials from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to testify about the district’s policies and the presence of books available in school libraries that featured LGBTQ+ characters and stories. Lawmakers questioned if the books violated SB 49.
A 2026 study by UNC Chapel Hill on the implementation of SB 49 across multiple school districts found that the participants typically identified negative impacts including “decreased exposure to diverse identities, increased vulnerability for LGBTQ+ youth, and limitations to supports for student well-being.”
Last year, the legislature passed House Bill 805, which requires school districts to provide an online catalog of the library books available at each school and allow a parent or guardian to prevent their child from borrowing certain school library books. The state budget passed this June also includes new requirements for how school districts should respond to challenges to school library books that suggest a book is obscene or inappropriate for the grade level and allows people who don’t have children in the school district to submit challenges.
It’s worth noting that both bills mentioned above — SB 49 and HB 805 — were vetoed by the governor before becoming law, but the legislature voted to override both vetoes. In the case of HB 805, the override passed with only one vote exceeding the threshold, meaning that the bill survived on very narrow margins. It’s important that we elect state and local officials who will push back against censorship and book banning attempts as we head into another election cycle.
In North Carolina, it’s a small but vocal group that drives the bulk of book challenges. Nearly 90% of challenged titles counted in a 2023 survey came from just four people. In some cases, organized groups like Moms for Liberty and the Pavement Education Project have played a role in efforts to challenge or remove books from school libraries, not parents or students from these schools. In 2023, Moms for Liberty filed 189 book challenges in Wake County alone, all of which were rejected.
Libraries exist to help people encounter and explore different ideas, topics, and viewpoints. Limiting the books available in libraries shrinks the world for students and limits their ability to explore perspectives that are different from their own. It also makes it harder for LGBTQ+ students and students of color to see themselves represented in books that might provide them with connection, hope, and inspiration.
The ACLU of North Carolina opposes book bans and censorship at every level and will continue to push back against attempts to restrict access to books. You can use our guide to started your own banned book club.
