Graduate Studies, UNL

 

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

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First Advisor

Julia McQuillan

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Sociology

Date of this Version

5-4-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Sociology

Under the supervision of Professor Julia McQuillan

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Makena nail. Used by permission

Abstract

The American Library Association documented an increase in book challenges in the U.S. in recent years. These are attempts to censor or limit access to books on library and book store shelves and are mostly brought by organizations and elected officials. There is much more research on which particular books are challenged and the reasons for the challenges than on general public opinion about the need for limiting access to books (PBS, 2022; American Library Association, n.d.). Previous research demonstrates that when books are challenged, the underlying goal is protecting community values by limiting access to ideas that some believe are not beneficial for the community (Knox, 2014). Research has yet to thoroughly examine the potential relationship between the content of challenged books and broader public opinion on book challenges. A small percentage of the US population is responsible for the overwhelming majority of book challenges, thus potentially limiting access to books in the US for the majority of people who may not want such limitations. Therefore it is important to understand both the trends in which book some people try to remove from publicly supported access (e.g. in libraries) and what topics, if any, most members of the public think could or should be kept from easy public access. To fill this gap in knowledge, the current study, guided by symbolic interactionism and New Censorship Theory, investigates correlates of trends in book challenges from 2001–2023, public opinion regarding what ideas should be allowed in public libraries, and trends in book removals in school districts to understand why book challenges occur and if there are specific contents within books that are challenged that change over time.

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