Author: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Staff
What Fayetteville Public Library v. Murray Means for Arkansas Libraries
On July 30, 2026, the Eighth Circuit issued its decision in Fayetteville Public Library v. Murray, a case that challenged two sections of Arkansas’s Act 372 that would makes it a crime to “furnish a harmful item” to a minor and require public libraries to adopt policies that allow people to challenge the “appropriateness” of materials available in county and municipal libraries.
What now? Libraries after LITTLE V. LLANO COUNTY
In December 2025, the Supreme Court declined to review a Fifth Circuit Court case about whether the government can remove books from a public library’s shelves. This guide provides an overview of the case and explains what it says about the right to read in libraries.
Intellectual Freedom Concepts: Toward a Shared Understanding for Taking Action
Few would deny that intellectual freedom is under attack in the U.S. today. The rising number of book challenges affects the work of academic, public, and school librarians. Books and other resources being removed from libraries and classrooms, censorship laws being passed in state legislatures, and decisions made by local school and library boards are negatively impacting patrons’ rights to read, write, and speak freely.
What Mahmoud v. Taylor Means for Your Library
In June 2025, the Supreme Court decided Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case about whether parents have the right to opt their children out of storybooks read in a public school’s language arts curriculum. The decision only affirms a parent’s right to opt their child out of lessons in classrooms, not to decide what books their children will be able to find in the library. Even though this decision does not apply to materials in school libraries, some are using the Court’s decision to push their censorship agendas.
ALA Announces the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024
The American Library Association (ALA) today released the highly anticipated Top 10 Most Challenged Books List as part of the 2025 State of America’s Libraries Report that highlights the ways libraries continue to meet the needs of their communities amid challenges to intellectual freedom.
Statement Regarding Midwest Tape/Hoopla Age and Content Ratings System
The Office for Intellectual Freedom is aware that Midwest Tape / Hoopla plans to offer an audience or content filtering system to librarians and library workers. The system will allow librarians and library workers to filter the platform’s content based on whether Midwest Tape / Hoopla believes the materials contain content some consider questionable or controversial for certain audiences. OIF has reached out to Midwest Tape / Hoopla to discuss our concerns about the proposal.
ALA Launches Intellectual Freedom Helpline Program – Grant Applications Open
The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline program. Over the next two years, ten pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, and referral to ALA OIF as appropriate.
National Library Week Means More Book Résumés!
To commemorate National Library Week, Unite Against Book Bans has expanded its free collection of book résumés to support librarians, educators, parents, students, and other community advocates in their efforts to keep frequently challenged books on shelves. The collection hosted at bit.ly/BookResumes has expanded by more than 50%!
ALA Releases Annual Top 10 Most Challenged Books List
It’s National Library Week, which means it’s time for the release of the annual list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 and the State of America’s Libraries Report, which highlights the ways libraries and library workers have taken action to address community needs with innovative and critical services, as well as the challenges brought on by censorship attempts.
Intellectual Freedom & Privacy at LibLearnX 2024
Join the Office for Intellectual Freedom and library workers from around the country this weekend for LibLearnX 2024! Keep reading for a rundown of intellectual freedom and privacy programs.