Category: Public Libraries
OIF Releases Additional Reports on Censorship in 2025
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has released two reports providing additional detailed insights from 2025, the year with the highest level of library censorship ever documented in the U.S. One report focuses on censorship activities that took place at public libraries, and the other examines censorship at school libraries.
Unite Against Book Bans: Book Résumés
Across the country, school librarians have been on the intellectual freedom frontlines defending access to books, building understanding about policies and library procedures, and dispelling misinformation. In collaboration with the publishing community, Unite Against Book Bans unveiled a free resource for the community. AASL President-Elect Becky Calzada shares her thoughts on how this tool can be used.
Texas Federal District Court Orders Censored Books Returned to Library Shelves in Llano County, Texas
Great news from Texas – the federal district court in Austin, Texas has issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Llano County, Texas government and library board to return the books […]
Aiding and Abetting?: “Speech-Plus” and Qualified Immunity at the Reference Desk
Librarians and library organizations should be aware of ongoing efforts to lessen governmental qualified immunity (a frequent point of discussion after high-profile police brutality cases or accidents attributable to public employee negligence). Librarians and library organizations should be willing to discuss all of this, says Giudicessi, because “people who are at the extremes of an issue often see imposing liability as a tactic.”
Librarians as Information Fiduciaries? Part Two
Welcome back to our series on information fiduciaries and libraries! We introduced the concept of information fiduciaries in Part One. In this series entry, we will focus on libraries as possible information fiduciaries.
Libraries as Information Fiduciaries? Part One
The Resolution on the Misuse of Behavioral Data Surveillance in Libraries, recently passed at ALA Midwinter, calls for libraries and vendors to reject behavioral data surveillance of patrons. While we are familiar with the concept of data surveillance, the last item in the resolution contains something that some in the library world are not as familiar with – information fiduciaries.