The American Library Association (ALA) Wednesday released a report quantifying a dramatic increase in demands for book censorship last year.

The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom compiled data on the number of attempts to restrict access to certain library books. 2022 saw the highest number of demands to censor library books and materials since the organization started compiling censorship data more than 20 years ago: more than 1,200 censorships requests were made last year. They also reported a 38 percent increase in the number of titles requested for censorship, with the majority of these requests occurring in schools compared to public libraries. The ALA notes their data likely under-reports the total number of censorship attempts.

Books targeted for censorship in past years included those depicting LGBTQ+ characters, minority characters, and anti-police messages. ALA’s President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada said, “Many library workers face threats to their employment, their personal safety, and in some cases, threats of prosecution for providing books to youth they and their parents want to read.”

This report comes less than a month after members of the US House introduced H.R.5, known as the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which would require public schools to post books and topics included in the curriculum for parents to view. While proponents argue parents have the right to know what their children learn, critics of the bill fear this will only encourage further censorship in libraries. Political and legal fights over censorship continue at the state level as well: last month, librarians in Missouri sued the state due to its ban on “sexually explicit materials” in schools.