Highlights

• AASL Commends We Need Diverse Books | ALA
• AUPresses Responds to State Legislative Overreach into School Libraries | Association of University Presses

Censorship

• School district uses ChatGPT to help remove library books | Popular Science (IA)
• Banned: 19 books pulled from Mason City School Libraries | Sioux City Journal (IA)
• Hanover School Board directs employees to start reviewing books for removal | Richmond-Times Dispatch (VA)
• Catholic school expels student over LGBTQ book ban | MetroWeekly (MO)
• Fishers library board president cites ‘error’ in removing John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ from teen section | WTHR (IN)
• Teens OK with no parents present, Botetourt County library board says | Roanoke Times (VA)
• Fort Worth ISD libraries close for sweeping review as scrutiny of books in schools grows | Dallas Morning News (TX)
• Books banned in other states fuel Vermont lieutenant governor’s reading tour | AP (VT)
• ‘This is a sh*tshow’: Man speaks out before board members fire librarian | CNN (WY)
• In our view: Close library? Plan reflects disturbing trend | Columbian (WA)
• School board orders librarians to use Moms for Liberty’s book censorship list to evaluate books | LGBTQ Nation (VA)
• ‘You can’t just come in and take any books’: Hillsborough County School Board discusses book removal | WFLA (FL)
  • Hillsborough school board looks to clear up confusion over book selection | Tampa Bay Times (FL)
• Hempfield Area School District approves new book review policy | CBS News (PA)
• Protection versus restriction: Central Pennsylvania grapples with public school book bans | Local21 (PA)
• Hamilton East library board president to be replaced after John Green controversy | WRTV (IN)
  • Petition requests Hamilton East Public Library change policy following John Green controversy | WRTV (IN)
  • Battle over books continues at Hamilton County East Library | WTHR (IN)
• Arkansas warns school districts not to offer A.P. African American Studies | New York Times (AR)
• Racism, gender identity and banned books. Escambia school board entangled in crossfire. | Pennsacola News Journal (FL)
• 28 speak out on books at Iredell-Statesville schools board meeting | Record&Landmark (NC)
• NCAC recommends book review policy changes to the Craven County board of education in North Carolina | National Coalition Against Censorship (NC)
• Name calling, accusations fly as library controversy continues | North Virginia Daily (VA)
• Level-funding of Prattville library infuriates book-challengeing group | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
• DCC4D audits DCPL, library encourages parent involvement in material selection | Owensboro Times (KY)
• Calls for LGBTQ book ban in Rio Rancho seemingly backfire | KOB4 (NM)
• Iowa School District Bans Books by Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood After AI Review for ‘Depictions of a Sex Act’ | Rolling Stone (IA)
• Spotsylvania school board to accept book donation which includes conservative, Christian-based content | WJLA (VA)
• 14 books added to list of school library removal requests in Carroll County, bringing total to 53 | Carroll County Times (MD)
• Community uproar leads St. Charles County to admonish library to be ‘non-political’ | Missouri Independent (MO)
• Book bans are growing in South Florida schools. You’ve probably read some of these books | Miami Herald (FL)
• Book battles are raging nationwide. A WA library could be nation’s first to close | Seattle Times (WA)
• Georgia teacher fired for reading gender-inclusive book appeals decision | Advocate (GA)
  • Teacher loses appeal to get job back after being fired for reading a book to her class | HuffPost (GA)
• Florida schools banned this sweet children’s book for alleged ‘adult content’ — It has none | LGBTQ Nation (FL)
• Posters of Black and White children holding hands? A Texas school trustee wants to halt such displays | Grio (TX)
• Library shelves plans on questionable youth books — at least for now | Pahrump Valley Times (NV)

Privacy & Cybersecurity

• YouTube ads may have led to online tracking of children, research says | New York Times

First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties

• Oklahoma sued for funding US’s first ‘state-sponsored’ religious charter school | Guardian (OK)
• An Oregon medical clinic received a bomb threat after a Libs of TikTok post | Into More (OR)
• Kids have First Amendment rights, too. Encourage them to speak up! | Miami Herald

Journalism & Media

• Raid of small Kansas newspaper raises free press concerns | New York Times
  • A police raid of a Kansas newsroom imperils all Americans’ civil liberties | Sedona Red Rock News (KS)

Academic Freedom & Student Speech

• Florida students and professors say a new law censors academic freedom. They’re suing to stop it | AP (FL)
  • New College group alleges a Florida law ‘censors’ courses | WUSF (FL)

State and Local Governance

• Despite reversing AP Psychology ban, some Florida schools still won’t teach it | Truthout (FL)
• Moms for Libros: How the educational disputes raging in Florida will affect young learners this school year | NBC Miami (FL)
• Pennsylvania’s culturally relevant and sustaining education guidelines causing controversy | KDKA (PA)

Copyright

• The dream was universal access to knowledge. The result was a fiasco. | New York Times

Disinformation & Information Literacy

• Violent threats against public officials are rising. Here’s why | NPR
• POV: Disinformation researchers are under attack by government legislators | Boston University

Social Media

• Allusions to mobster movies and book burning at appeals court hearing on Biden social media contacts | Washington Post
• Florida and Texas content-moderation restrictions unconstitutional, DOJ says | Digital News Daily
• A nonprofit fights GOP allegations that it supported a ‘censorship regime’ | Washington Post

International

• Hong Kong seeks public help in purging library books | Voice of America
• Paris booksellers refuse to move from Seine for 2024 Olympics | Forbes

Around the Web

• The plot thickens: The battle over books comes at a cost | NPR
• Guest opinion: Nicole A. Cooke: Book-banning campaigns have changed the lives of librarians | Daily Camera
• The latest battle in the conservative war on the American mind | Intelligencer
• A lot is happening in Florida education. These are some of the changes kids will see | NPR
• The book banners and I have one thing in common | New York Times
• Opinion: We are all invested in the freedom to read | Concord Monitor
• Renton bar received bomb threat over hosting drag shows | MYNorthwest
• Jacqueline Wilson says rewriting children’s books can be justified | Guardian
• Yumi Stynes calls out online trolls for abusive messages over her sex education book | Women’s Agenda
• When we teach Black history, facts matter — and so does narrative | WBUR
• PRH rolls out banned books resources: ‘Let Kids Read’ | Publishing Perspectives
• Iowa library has uptick in banned books checkouts | Axios Des Moines

ALA News

• AASL Commends the Maryland Library Association
• ALA Awards Spectrum Scholarships for 2023
• 2024 Lois Ann Gregory-Wood Fellowship
• Core Webinar: Best of Core at ALA Annual Conference; Thinking Big
• Core Webinar: Opportunity in the Face of Crisis
• AASL Commends Calvert Library
• ALA 2024 Annual Conference & Exhibition Call for Program Proposals Now Open

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