C&RL News May 2022 229

Gary Pattillo is reference librarian at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, e-mail:  
pattillo@email.unc.edu

Book challenges
ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked “729 (book) challenges—af-
fecting nearly 1,600 books—at public schools and libraries in 2021, more 
than double 2020’s figures and the highest since the ALA began compiling 
challenges more than 20 years ago.” The two most challenged books for the 
year were Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe, and Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison.
Hillel Italie, “Library Study Finds ‘Challenged’ Books Soared in 2021,” AP News, April 4, 2022,
https://apnews.com/article/most-challenged-books-2021-1d5c3a131e951299d02ce2a4152098cb 
(retrieved April 6, 2022).

Declining reading scores
“In 2019, the average reading score for twelfth-grade students was 2 points 
lower (285) compared to 2015, the previous assessment year, and 7 points 
lower than 1992, the first reading assessment year. Average scores are reported 
on the NAEP reading scale that ranges from 0 to 500.” A score of 302 is 
considered “proficient.”
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, “NAEP Reading: National Average Scores,”
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading/nation/scores/?grade=12 (retrieved April 6, 
2022).

AI biographies of marginalized groups
“Only about 20 percent of biographies on the English (Wikipedia) site are 
about women. Research scientist Angela Fan is using AI (artificial intelligence) 
to create more inclusive Wikipedia-style biographies about marginalized 
groups. (The open-source AI model) automatically creates high-quality bio-
graphical articles about important real-world public figures, (which can then 
be) used as a starting point for people writing Wikipedia content and fact 
checkers to publish more biographies of underrepresented groups on the site.”
Meta, “Generating Biographies of Marginalized Groups,” March 30, 2022, https://about.
fb.com/news/2022/03/generating-biographies-of-marginalized-groups (retrieved April 6,
2022).

“Smart” devices
A “majority (75 percent) of adults in the U.S. say they or someone in their 
family interacts with a voice-activated assistant. Most say they interact with a 
voice-activated assistant on either a smartphone (61 percent), smart speaker 

mailto:pattillo%40email.unc.edu?subject=
https://apnews.com/article/most-challenged-books-2021-1d5c3a131e951299d02ce2a4152098cb
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading/nation/scores/?grade=12
https://about.fb.com/news/2022/03/generating-biographies-of-marginalized-groups
https://about.fb.com/news/2022/03/generating-biographies-of-marginalized-groups


C&RL News May 2022 230

(35 percent), in a car (29 percent), on a computer (14 percent) or another device 
(7 percent). Similarly, 58 percent say they have at least one ‘smart home’ device 
in their home: 37 percent own one or two smart home devices, while 21 percent 
own three or more. Four in 10 (41 percent) say they don’t currently have any 
‘smart home’ devices in their home.”
Brianna Richardson, “Axios|Momentive Poll: What’s Next 2022,” Momentive, April 5, 2022, https://
www.momentive.ai/en/blog/axios-whats-next-2022 (retrieved April 6, 2022).

Hispanic-serving institutions
“The number of colleges with Latino enrollment of at least 25 percent has 
declined during the pandemic, reversing a 20-year trend in higher education. 
Despite Hispanic population growth, the number of HSIs (Hispanic-serving 
institutions) has dropped for the first time in 20 years. Fewer colleges meet the 
federal standard to be considered Hispanic-serving institutions, in part due to 
pandemic enrollment decline. Data from the 2020-2021 academic year shows 
that 42 colleges previously designated as HSIs dipped below the threshold that 
qualifies them. At the same time, 32 new HSIs were added, leaving the list of 
schools with this designation 10 shorter than it was the year before.”
Olivia Sanchez, “Despite Hispanic Population Growth, but the Number of HSIs Has Dropped 
for the First Time in 20 Years,” The Hechinger Report, April 1, 2022, http://hechingerreport.
org/despite-hispanic-population-growth-but-the-number-of-hsis-has-dropped-for-the-first-
time-in-20-years (retrieved April 6, 2022).

https://www.momentive.ai/en/blog/axios-whats-next-2022
https://www.momentive.ai/en/blog/axios-whats-next-2022
http://hechingerreport.org/despite-hispanic-population-growth-but-the-number-of-hsis-has-dropped-for-the-first-time-in-20-years
http://hechingerreport.org/despite-hispanic-population-growth-but-the-number-of-hsis-has-dropped-for-the-first-time-in-20-years
http://hechingerreport.org/despite-hispanic-population-growth-but-the-number-of-hsis-has-dropped-for-the-first-time-in-20-years