The Post-Gazette headline above an Associated Press story last week trumpeted the good news: "Banned books List Drops to Lowest Level." Hooray for the forces of intellectual freedom and tolerance, right? Not so fast.

While complaints requesting the removal of certain books have declined by half since the American Library Association began its "Banned Books Week" in 1981, librarians and civil libertarians are busier than ever. The ALA reported 405 challenges in 2005, with 44 actually pulled from the shelves last year. This is down from the 200 books removed from libraries in 1982.

While statistics don't lie, they can be misleading. Those who would purge libraries of material deemed inappropriate for children haven't given up. If anything, they've learned to fight on multiple fronts, redirecting much of their protest toward the Internet.

Also, librarians aren't always as diligent as they could be in reporting complaints to the ALA. Some would rather quietly remove offending books.

In Benton, Pa., several parents complained to the school board about the books their children might read in the schools' accelerated reader program. According to Judith Krug, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, Benton's school superintendent ordered 383 recently arrived books to remain boxed. The "offending" books include "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Invisible Man," "The Great Gatsby" and "A Farewell to Arms."

"We're talking about classic American authors," Ms. Krug said. "We shouldn't be taking them off the shelves."

In Pennsylvania, the censorious spirit still burns bright, even if the number of complaints is down. As Banned Books Week approaches on Sept. 23-30, we should be heartened that the list isn't as long. Still, that such a list exists is an embarrassment for democracy.