This research project emerged from my personal passion for literature, particularly books and reading. What began as a casual interest quickly evolved into an in-depth investigation. Initially, I undertook the task of gathering and analyzing data spanning the past two decades of book bans in the United States. This involved documenting the total number of proposed bans annually, as well as identifying the top ten most challenged titles each year. The first poster presents this data in the form of an infographic, complete with the titles, authors, and the consecutive years each title maintained its position in the top ten.

Following this, I extended the scope of the analysis to a state-level examination. The second poster delineates data specific to each of the 50 states, encompassing the number of formal attempts to ban books in 2023, the total count of titles subject to restriction that year, and the political affiliation of each state in 2023.

It's important to note that the objective of this project was not to advocate for a particular viewpoint or assign blame. Rather, it was conceived as an endeavor to provide factual information, employing graphical methods to elucidate complex issues. Moreover, it served as a fun way to spark interesting conversations at Research Week.