John Oliver defended public libraries on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, as the local institutions have “become another front in the ongoing culture war” with attacks on their funding, their staff and their collections.
The American Library Association documented efforts to censor over 4,240 unique book titles in schools and libraries in 2023, the highest level they have ever recorded, up 92% from the previous year. Library staff have also experienced a huge increase in harassment, with some baselessly accused of pedophilia for allowing certain books to be checked out.
