What Do Michiganders Really Think? MLA Public Opinion Survey on Public Libraries and Book Banning

STATEWIDE RESULTS  |  REGIONAL RESULTS  |  2023 SURVEY RESULTS

A June 2025 statewide poll reveals Michigan voters increasingly oppose book bans and strongly support their local public libraries. The new poll follows a similar statewide survey on library issues conducted in March 2023, both commissioned by the Michigan Library Association and conducted by the public opinion survey and research firm EPIC-MRA. Results confirm a growing statewide resistance to censorship efforts targeting library collections and a significant increase in strong support for public libraries since 2023. Key findings show:

• 79% approve of Michigan libraries' work (up from 71%)
• 75% trust librarians' collection decisions
• 50% now say books should never be banned (flipped from 42% in 2023)
• 84% support current library policies on age-appropriate shelving
• Only 4% blame libraries for children accessing objectionable content

“It’s incredibly gratifying to see the survey results affirm what library staff across Michigan experience every day — that the public trusts their librarians, values intellectual freedom, and believes that everyone deserves to see their story reflected on our shelves,” said Jenny Marr, MLA Board President and Executive Director at Capital Area District Libraries. “It’s also a powerful reminder, especially in communities facing challenges, that while there may be voices loudly opposing the freedom to read, they do not represent the majority of people in our state.”

“In 2023, survey results affirmed that a strong majority of Michiganders support their public libraries and have no appetite for censorship,” stated Dillon Geshel, Interim Executive Director of MLA. “These new findings point to increased support for public libraries and the freedom to read, and send a strong message to lawmakers, stakeholders, and library boards: Michiganders want their libraries to remain a gateway to knowledge for all, free of censorship.”

Statewide Results

View the Michigan Library Association Statewide Survey on Book Banning and Other Issues Executive Summary and Demographic Analysis June 2025 Report (pdf)

View the questions asked in the Frequency Report of Survey Responses (pdf)

View the cross tabs of the results (pdf)

Our work with EPIC-MRA has produced a statistically valid, stratified survey of over 800 voters in Michigan regarding awareness of, and attitudes toward, book banning and other library issues. In addition to conducting the survey, EPIC-MRA produced a statewide summary of the results as well as 11 regional summaries based on the Michigan Cooperative Library regions. Detailed statewide findings show:

A 79% solid majority of all respondents gave public libraries in Michigan, including their local public library, a positive rating for the job they are doing providing programs, services, and a diverse, quality collection of books and other materials to their library patrons. That’s up from 71% in 2023. An 88% majority of Democrats, 79% of Independents, and 68% of Republicans offer a positive job rating.

A 75% solid majority of all respondents said that librarians are very capable or mostly capable and trustworthy to decide which books and reading materials should be included in their local library collections. This includes 83% of Democrats, 69% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans.

In a reversal of opinion, a 50% bare majority of respondents said that “there is absolutely no time when a book should be banned from local public libraries,” with another 39% saying “there are rare times when it may be appropriate to ban books from local public libraries, and 8% saying “there are many inappropriate books that should be banned from local public libraries.” These results are flipped from the 2023 survey when 45% said “there are rare rimes when it may be appropriate to ban books from local public libraries,” with only 42% saying “there is absolutely no time when a book should be banned from local public libraries,” and 9% saying “there are many inappropriate books that should be banned from local public libraries.” A 67% majority of Democrats, 43% of Independents, and 33% of Republicans say books should never be banned, with another 30% of Democrats, 45% of Independents, and 47% of Republicans saying books should rarely be banned.

When survey respondents were informed that while some people want to restrict access to library materials, local public libraries already divide books and materials by sections in the library that are appropriate for children, teenagers, and adults, an 84% solid majority said they supported current library policy of dividing materials into age-appropriate sections. This includes 96% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 70% of Republicans.

In a new question asked about public library boards, 66% of respondents said boards that govern local public libraries should be non-partisan. A 69% majority of Democrats, a 65% majority of Independents, and a 63% majority of Republicans agree that local public library boards should be non-partisan.

In response to the question, “In your opinion, where would you say children and teenagers are able to get materials that are objectionable?”, only 4% of respondents selected libraries as the main source of objectionable materials. Another 4% of respondents selected schools, 5% selected “From friends”, 25% selected social media, and 57% majority selected “On the internet”. 5% of respondents were undecided.

68% of all respondents said that “books with discussions about sex, gender identity or sexual orientation” should never be banned (up from 67% in 2023), with 18% saying they should “sometimes be banned” (down from 21%) and 11% saying they should always be banned (up from 9% in 2023). An 87% majority of Democrats, 70% of Independents, and 47% of Republicans said these books should never be banned.

An 82% solid majority of all respondents said they agree the most that “we need to protect the ability of young people to have access to books from which they can learn about and understand different perspectives and help them grow into adults who can think for themselves,” up from 75% in 2023. Only 15% agreed that “we need to protect young people from books that they might find upsetting or that reflect ideologies and lifestyles that are outside of the mainstream.” A 95% majority of Democrats, 84% of Independents, and 65% of Republicans agree.

An 85% overwhelming majority of all respondents agreed with the statement that “Individual parents can set rules for their own children, but they do not have the right to decide for other parents what books are available to their children.” In the 2023 survey, 80% offered the same opinion. Only 13% agreed with the statement that “parents have a right NOT to have their children exposed to objectionable books at the library and should be able to join with other parents to have those books removed from the library.” This includes 97% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 71% of Republicans.

“As we saw in the 2023 survey, about 9-in-10 voters say that books attempting to limit the teaching of history, especially books discussing slavery, race, political ideas they disagree with, and criticisms of people and events in U.S. history, should NOT be banned. Likewise, 2-in-3 voters said books dealing with sexual content should never be banned,” stated Bernie Porn, President of EPIC-MRA. “It is worth noting that all of the questions tested in the current survey that were the same or similar to the 2023 survey questions showed stronger voter responses - many much stronger.”

Regional Results

In addition to a statewide summary, EPIC-MRA produced 11 regional summaries based on the Michigan Cooperative Library regions. Download the summaries below.

Region 1 Library Survey Summary - Detroit Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 2 Library Survey Summary - Lakeland Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 3 Library Survey Summary - Mid-Michigan Library League (pdf)

Region 4 Library Survey Summary - Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 5 Library Survey Summary - Northland Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 6 Library Survey Summary - Southwest Michigan Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 7 Library Survey Summary - Suburban Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 8 Library Survey Summary - Superiorland Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 9 Library Survey Summary - The Library Network (pdf)

Region 10 Library Survey Summary - White Pine Library Cooperative (pdf)

Region 11 Library Survey Summary - Woodlands Library Cooperative (pdf)

About EPIC-MRA

EPIC-MRA is a full-service survey research firm with expertise in Public Opinion Surveys and Market Research Studies. EPIC-MRA has a proven track record of producing accurate and useful research data based on public perceptions and opinions. 

*Methodology: Live operator survey of 846 Michigan voters, including 80% cellphone-only respondents. Margin of error ±3.5%. Regional data available for all 11 Michigan Cooperative Library regions.*