Highlights

• President Obama extends support to American Librarians in open letter | ALA
  • Obama speaks out against ‘profoundly misguided’ book bans in school libraries | Guardian
  • Barack Obama, in TikTok starring Kankakee Public Library staffers, launches drive against book bans | Chicago Sun Times
• DCLA statement of support for ALA in response to the Montana State Library Commission decision to withdraw from ALA | DCLA

Censorship

• Display defended | Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan (SD)
• Right-wing activists seek to ban “Arthur’s Birthday” from Florida school libraries | Popular Information (FL)
• Poll: 59% of Utahns oppose local school boards removing books from libraries, classrooms | Deseret News (UT)
• Book banning and censorship debate shifts to Hanover’s public libraries | Hanover Debate (VA)
• JPs hear second reading of library ordinance | Saline Courier (AR)
• Montgomery County to restrict teen access to LGBTQ books, add books with conservative themes | Courier of Montgomery County (TX)
• Protestors gather at Talcott Free Library in response to Friday’s drag queen Q&A event | WIFR (IL)
• Appomattox County may reinstate library board member ousted following complaints about LGBTQ+ books | Cardinal News (VA)
• Pima County Republicans join parents protesting Tucson drag queen story hour | Tennessee Star (AZ)
• Ta-Nehisi Coates crashed a South Carolina school board meeting where they were discussing a ban of his book | Insider (SC)
• York County Council shrinks size of library board after LGBTQ book controversy | Post and Courier (SC)
• Frederick supervisor urges removal of certain books from FCPS libraries | Winchester Star (VA)
• Sprindale library board backs rules to require suprvision of children | Arkansas Democrat Gazette (AR)
• Florida’s ‘removed book’ list is coming. Schools plan to use it. | Tampa Bay Times (FL)
  • Florida is prompting schools to examine books with a statewide lens | Tampa Bay Times (FL)
• ACLU warns New Jersey library not to censor LGBTQ+ book | Advocate (NJ)
• Crawford County Library Board to not touch ‘social sections’ due to lawsuit; approves new book reconsideratin policy with Act 372 en route | Arkansas Democrat Gazette (AR)
• To be or not to be on the shelf? New Florida school book law could restrict even Shakespeare | USA Today (FL)
• Marathon County Public Library to review book challenge appeal | Wausau Pilot & Review (WI)
• Temecula school board rejects new textbooks again over concerns about inclusion of Harvey Milk | ABC7 (CA)
• LCSD1 board of trustees talk book policy | Wyoming News Now (WY)
• Taking issue with BOE chair | Newtown Bee (CT)
• Keene Library board revisits CIPA compliance; to submit official letter on requirements | Fremont Tribune (NE)

Privacy & Cybersecurity

• Cybersecurity labeling for smart devices aims to help people choose those less vulnerable to hacking | WBAY
• Amazon agrees to injunctive relief and $25 million civil penalty for alleged violations of Children’s Privacy law relating to Alexa | U.S. Dept. of Justice
• Sen. Casey rolls out bills to protect workers from AI surveillance and ‘robot bosses’ | NBC News

First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties

• Asian American advocates slam DeSantis for land law that they say ‘will legalize Asian hate’ | NBC News

Academic Freedom & Student Speech

• A Notre Dame professor sues the student paper | Wall Street Journal

Net Neutrality & Broadband Access

• FCC moves to improve tribal connectivity through simplified e-rate rules | Public Knowledge

Legislation

• North Carolina Republicans want to help parents prosecute librarians | Rolling Stone (NC)
• Ohio House Republicans hope to stop drag queen story hours with new bill: Capitol Letter | Cleveland.com (OH)

State and Local Governance

• Nine governors join Governor Murphy in opposing censorship of school textbooks | Montgomery News (NJ)
• Editorial: Ashcroft’s library-censorship rules are putting a wall between teens and books | St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)

Copyright

• Thousands of authors urge AI companies to stop using their work without permission | NPR

Disinformation & Information Literacy

• Disinformation reimagined: how AI could erode democracy in the 2024 US elections | Guardian
• AI disinformation drives lawmaker fears about 2024 ‘wild west’ | Bloomberg

International

• UK amends encrypted message scanning plans | BBC

Around the Web

• How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians — they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves | Conversation
• What happened when students led fights to reverse book bans | EducationWeek
• ‘Active club’ hate groups are growing in the U.S. — and making themselves seen | NPR
• Montana conservatives are stoking McCarhyist, homophobic attacks on a librarian | Jacobin
• DPLA launches The Banned Book Club to ensure access to banned books | DPLA
• I was labeled a ‘pedophile’ and ‘groomer’ in a viral video — and it blew up my life | HuffPost
• I am being pushed out of one of the last public squares, the library | New York Times
• S.F. church, threatened after drag events, hit with anti-LGBTQ protest | San Francisco Chronicle
• Squashing some beef: First Amendment audits are often stunts, not progress | Anson Record
• Taking on far-right bullies who target rainbow storytimes — Opinion | Star Observer
• Banned Bookmobile stops at libraries and bookstores to rally support for the right to read | Virginia Public Radio
• Jay-Z finances anti-book ban initiatives in New York | Black Enterprise

ALA News

• ALA, ATALM applaud FCC Report and Order to support Tribal, small and rural library E-rate applicants
• Core Webinar: Best of Core at ALA Annual Conference; Championing Net-Zero Energy for Your Library
• Core Webinar: Best of Core at ALA Annual Conference; The Top 5 Mistakes Renovating Your Library
• Core Webinar: Build Better; Effective Library Project Management
• Volunteer to Serve on ALA, Council, and Joint Committees for 2024-2026!
• Core Debuts “Best of Core at ALA Conference” Webinar Collection for 2023
• GameRT’s 2023 Game On! Grant awarded to Butler Area Public Library (Butler, PA)

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