Intellectual Freedom News 06/09/2023
Highlights
- Acclaimed author Ibram X. Kendi to headline Rally for the Right to Read before ALA conference | ALA
- Five ways to support LGBTQIA+ students | School Library Journal
- Freedom to Read Foundation files amicus brief in support of Llano County Texans’ lawsuit challenging county’s library book censorship | ALA
- American Library Association Welcomes White House Actions to Address Book Bans | ALA
Censorship
- Utah parent upset by book bans gets Bible pulled from school shelves to expose ‘bad faith process’ | NBC News (UT)
- Davis School District officials now review Book of Mormon’s suitability | Standard-Examiner (UT)
- Attorney bills Crawford County thousands for dealing with FOIs, public on library controversy | Arkansas Times (AR)
- Moms for Liberty listed as ‘anti-government’ group by extremism watchdog | Guardian
- Butte-Silver Bow cancels library event with trans speaker citing new drag story hour ban | KTVQ (MT)
- Westerly town council rejects book banning | Uprise RI (RI)
- Following controversial meeting and postponement, Lake Luzerne library cancels drag queen story hour | Times Union (NY)
- Book bans are on the rise. Biden is naming a point person to address that | NPR
- Temecula school board president calls Harvey Milk ‘pedophile’ before book banning vote | KCAL (CA)
- Menomonee Falls residents worried about future of community’s library | Wisconsin Public Library (WI)
- ‘Restricted’ library cards introduced by Idaho Falls Library. Here’s what it means for you and your kids | East Idaho News (ID)
- Library defunding/book removal advocates, Samuels Library defenders clash on D-Day 2023 | Royal Examiner (VA)
- Residents clash over library funding, book selection | Northern Virginia Daily (VA)
- Healey urges textbook publishers to fight censorship | Eagle-Tribune (MA)
- Why people are talking about this contentous school board meeting in Florida | We Are Teachers (FL)
- Newtown board of education rejects proposed book ban in high school library | CBS New York (CT)
- Stamford’s Fergus Library to hold drag storytime for Pride despite past threats: “We’re prepared’ | Stamford Advocate (CT)
- Analysis: Most library books targeted have LGBTQ themes | North Virginia Daily (VA)
- Drag event in Sturbridge prompts bid to defund library | Patch (MA)
- Tigard Library closed Sunday, Pride event canceled due to threats | KGW8 (OR)
- Missouri’s largest library system boots Pride displays in kids, teen areas | Advocate (MO)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- Tennessee drag ban is unconstitutional, federal judge rules | Washington Post (TN)
- Arkansas ‘harmful to minors’ law draws free speech challenge | Bloomberg Law (AR)
- LGBTQ+ Americans under attack: A report and reflection on the 2023 state legislative session | Human Rights Campaign
- FIRE to Fifth Circuit: Protect our public libraries | FIRE
- ‘Poop-themed’ Jack Daniel’s dog toy parody not protected by First Amendment, Supreme Court says | Fox Business
- Fact sheet: Biden-Harris administration announces new actions to protect LGBTQI+ communities | White House
- Court rules that inflammatory social media posts by a public employee are not protected by the First Amendment | JD Supra
Legislation
- Indiana school librarians worry new law banning ‘obscene’ books will harm their work and students | Chalkbeat Indiana (IN)
- ‘We will uphold and defend the law and we will protect our students’: CA officials seek legislation to protect diversity in literature, curriculums | KGET (CA)
- Here is all the evidence you needed that drag bans are about erasing trans existence | Mother Jones
- A look at restrictions on LGBTQ+ people in the US, and the pushback | AP
- Texas becomes largest state to ban transgender care for minors | Reuters (TX)
- A NJ bill would strip funding from public schools or libraries for banning books | Philadelphia Inquirer (NJ)
- State lawmakers cut 11th hour deal on library bill, part of broader anti-LGBTQ legislative push | Gambit (LA)
State & Local Governance
- Inside Florida’s ‘underground lab’ for far-right education policies | Hechinger Report (FL)
- A proposed book policy in Western Mass. could allow elected officials to override school librarians | Boston.com (MA)
Social Media
- Artists, free speech orgs to protest suppression of artistic expression by social media companies | NCAC
International
- Why are Sweden’s far right suddenly going after drag queens? | EuroNews
- Scottish library’s drag queen story event for young children sparks online backlash | Scotsman
Around the Web
- Amanda gorman addresses book bans in 1st interview since poem was restricted in Florida school | CBS News
- Banned books: Conservatives target publishers as part of their school, library censorship push | Teen Vogue
- ‘Smart people are falling for stupid lies’: How one Florida county has become ground zero for the far right’s education blitz | Vanity Fair
- GOP donor gave lesbian transphobe Bari Weiss $500K to start ‘anti-woke’ non-profit | LGBTQ Nation
- How the Bible became conservative book bans’ unintended target | The Week
- Miami education advocates host event to protest ‘irrationality and vagueness’ of book bans | Miami Herald
- Groups challenging books are organized, but Florida readers are pushing back | WFSU
- Opinion: Tennessee censorship laws directly affect children’s ability to learn to read | Tennessean
- Hate has no home in Waterville | CentralMaine.com
- An Orono librarian is pushing back against censorship with a banned book club for students | Bangor Daily News (ME)
- Commentary: Anti-CRT movement limits kids’ education | Culpeper Star-Exponent
ALA News
- ALA Announces Transitions and New Leadership at ACRL
- Lappin and Schneider appointed to ALA Executive Board
- New from ACRL – “Managing Crises in the Academic Library: Past, Present, and Future”
- 2023 John Cotton Dana Awards Announced
- AASL Announces Inaugural Toor Scholarship Recipients
- 2023 Core PR Xchange Award Winners Announced
- Hawthorne Elementary School Wins ALA’s 2023 Jaffarian Award for Growing Readers, Growing Leaders Program
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