Intellectual Freedom News 05/26/2023
Highlights
- American Library Association to host Annual Conference & Exhibition, June 22-27 in Chicago: Featured speakers include Judy Blume, Amanda Gorman, Christian Robinson | ALA
- Book ban efforts by ‘vocal minority’ threaten freedom, speaker tells Akron Roundtable | Akron Beacon Journal
- Intellectual Freedom Round Table announces 2023 John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award | ALA
Censorship
- The fight for the soul of a school board | New Yorker (MO)
- Library’s first drag hour met with prayer circle outside venue | Des Moines Register (IA)
- Hanover County school board receives list of proposed book bans weeks after announcing proposed new policy | WRIC (VA)
- Group wants ‘smut books’ removed from Samuels Library | Northern Virginia Daily (VA)
- Republican lawmaker warns Broward libraries’ ‘I read banned books’ effort could prompt retaliation | South Florida Sun Sentinel (FL)
- Are more parental controls coming to Hillsborough libraries? | Tampa Bay Times (FL)
- Culture wars flare on school boards over trans issues, book bans | Insider NJ (NJ)
- Book bans enter discussion for Lake Luzerne library | Post-Star (NY)
- Local schools prepare for book challenges following harmful materials law | Daily Journal (IN)
- Teacher says she resigned after sharing QR code for library access amid censorship issues | KOKH (OK)
- A Florida school has banned the poem read at Biden’s inauguration | New Republic (FL)
- Amanda Gorman is ‘gutted’ by school district’s decision to restrict her poem after a parent complained it containted ‘hate messages’ | CNN (FL)
- White House, advocates slam Florida school’s ‘censorship’ of inaugural poem | Reuters (FL)
- Social media posts believed to be from parent who sought book ban praised Proud Boys, shared antisemitic conspiracy theory | ABC News (FL)
- Offering non explanation, Osceola County permanently removes multiple books from its school libraries | FIRE (FL)
- Ban the Bible? Someone sent the book to Brevard schools for review | Florida Today (FL)
- Boston librarians under attack amid record number of national complaints and challenges | Boston (MA)
- Saline County judge, citizens bring concerns about “obscene” content to library board | Arkansas Advocate (AR)
- Book removal request denied by PWPL board | Mining Journal (MI)
- Sexually explicit books spark controversy at Caro library | WNEM (MI)
- Lapeer library keeps LGBTQ-themed books, but more battles loom | Lansing City Pulse (MI)
- Minot library board decides LGBTQ+ books will stay | KXNET (ND)
- Library board allows ‘Gender Queer’ to stay | County Press (MI)
- Challengers win library board race | Couer d’Alene/Post Falls Press (ID)
- Little Rock library board weighs censorship lawsuit, oppostiion rallies to stop them | Arkansas Times (AR)
- Montoursville school board refuses to pass CRT ban | Williamsport Sun-Gazette (PA)
- Council upholds manager’s decision on drag queen story time | KRBD (AK)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- Book removals may have violated student civil rights, Education Dept. says | Washington Post (GA)
- Livingston city order moves location of possible protests related to Drag Story Hour | Livingston Enterprise (MT)
- Lafayette LGBTQ activist faces charges for 2022 library meeting outburst | Acadiana Advocate (LA)
- First Amendment challenge to discipline of 8th-grader for ‘racially insensitive’ Instagram post can go forward | Reason
- Cook County Jail’s paper ban infringes on intellectual freedom | Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
- DeSantis asks that judge be disqualified from Disney’s free speech lawsuit | WSAZ (FL)
Academic Freedom & Campus Speech
- Report finds Hamline University violated professor’s academic freedom in Islamic art controversy | St. Paul Pioneer Press
- A university fired 2 employees for including their pronouns in emails | New York Times
Legislation
- Texas lawmakers OK bill that aims to keep sexually explicit material out of school libraries | KHOU (TX)
- Anti-queer laws just keep coming at the Texas legislature | Austin Chronicle (TX)
- Montana becomes first state to ban drag reading for kids in schools and libraries | NBC Washington (MT)
- Nebraska votes to restrict abortion and transgender care for minors | New York Times (NE)
- Nebraska amendment banning minors from ‘drag’ performances fails | KTIV (NE)
- Dem lawmakers target book bans in public libraries as censorship rises | New Jeresey Monitor (NJ)
- Bill advances to restrict minors’ access to explicit library material | Minden Press-Herald (LA)
State & Local Governance
- Missouri library rule to take effect May 30 | Spectrum Local (MO)
- Florida Board of Education approves book objection list | WCJB (FL)
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- Biden nominates telcom veteran to FCC in bid to overcome stalemate | Washington Post
Copyright
- Ruling against Warhol shouldn’t hurt artists. But it might. | New York Times
Social Media
- A new Twitter policy cripples journalists’ efforts to halt disinformation | Hill
- For one group of teenagers, social media seems a clear net benefit | New York Times
Disinformation & Information Literacy
- YouTubers film, insult public workers in towns across Mass. for self-declared ‘First Amendment Audits’ | Boston Glober (MA)
- How to avoid falling for misinformation, fake AI images on social media | Washington Post
International
- Leaked government document shows Spain wants to ban end-to-end encryption | WIRED
- Meta fined $1.3 Billion for violating E.U. data privacy rules | New York Times
- The cyber gulag: How Russia tracks, censors and controls its citizens | AP
Around the Web
- A far right moms group is targeting students. These women are fighting back. | VICE
- Target pulls some LGBTQ+ merchandise from stores ahead of June Pride month after threats to workers | AP
- Brands embracing Pride Month confront a volatile political climate | New York Times
- How to fight the right’s moral panic over parental rights | Nation
- Banned books exhibit at city libraries provide access to important literature | El Paso Matters
- Bridgeport Public Library partners with U.S. Postal Service to dedicate stamp to author Toni Morrison | WTNH
- We need to counter the fury at Lancaster County school board meetings with voices of reason [editorial] | Lancaster Online
- The largely forgotten book ban case that went up to the Supreme Court | Washington Post
- Librarians are suffering because of book bans. I know because I’ve received death threats. — Opinion | NJ.com
- The attack on our libraries | CounterPunch
- Cuts still threaten library operations | Queens Chronicle
- Objection to sexual, LGBTQ content propels spike in book challenges | Washington Post
- Wes Moore calls out politicians who ‘ban books and muzzle educators’ | Politico
ALA News
- Sheila Michaels named YALSA’s 2023 MAE Award winner
- Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table announces 2023 Distinguished Librarian Award
- Tuliao to swim for Spectrum Scholarship
- Jean E. Coleman Lecturer announced for 2023 ALA Annual Conference
- Project management of exhibitions and installations
- Culturally responsive school libraries
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