Intellectual Freedom News 1/21/2022
Highlights
- Actress and comedian Molly Shannon to serve as 2022 National Library Week honorary chair; “I am so honored to serve as honorary chair of National Library Week for 2022. My mom was a librarian. She encouraged kids to read. So, the work of librarians and libraries has such a special place in my heart,” Shannon said. “Libraries are places where communities connect—to things like broadband, computers, programs and classes, books, movies, video games, and more. But most importantly, libraries connect us to each other. Supporting National Library Week in this role allows me to connect to my mother’s memory and all the librarians out there. Thank you for everything you do.”
- Intellectual Freedom @ LibLearnX
Censorship
- Now Even Police Are Getting Black Books Banned | Word in Black
- Black authors are being pulled from school libraries over critical race theory fears | Newsweek
- They fought critical race theory. Now they’re focusing on ‘curriculum transparency.’ | NBC News
- NC teacher on book banning debate: ‘I believe that in Casper we can have conversations as neighbors’ | Oil City News (WY)
- Pornography and censorship: Controversial books returned to Utah school libraries’ shelves | The Daily Universe (UT)
- Kemp targets critical race theory, transgender sports participation | Georgia Recorder
- Board discusses school library book removal process | Williamson Herald (TN)
- Lawmakers want to block teaching race relations in schools. Here’s a look at content that was banned last year | South Florida Sun Sentinel
- Shelton BOE member: Bestselling memoir not appropriate for freshmen | Shelton Herald (CT)
- Controversial Indiana bill that required all school curricula to be posted online dropped | Newsweek
- Va. lawsuit denounces anti-racism curriculum as ‘pathological’ critical race theory | Washington Post
- On his first day in office, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin banned teaching Critical Race Theory and mask mandates in schools | Business Insider
- Costello backs bill allowing parental review of school library books | KPVI (IA)
- York grandmom renews bid to yank sex ed book ‘It’s Perfectly Normal’ from YMS library | Seacoast Online (ME)
- Schools face pressure to purge books about racism and gender identity as banning skyrockets | Yahoo! News
- Missouri General Assembly aims to ban books, critical race theory | Kansas City Pitch
- Book that tackles race relations removed from curriculum | Associated Press (MO)
- Board discusses book selection for libraries | Webster-Kirkwood Times (MO)
- Loudoun County schools pull controversial gender book from library shelves | Washington Post
- Wayzata, Minnesota, school removes Lawn Boy against district regulations | National Coalition Against Censorship
- Parents call for removal of controversial book from Auburn High School library | Finger Lakes 1 (NY)
- School book ban debate arrives in Auburn | Auburnpub.com (NY)
- Burlington school board debates use of Trevor Noah’s book in high school class | Kenosha News (WI)
- Florida’s debate over school race lessons, CRT, to resume in Senate | Tampa Bay Times
- Florida bill would bar businesses and schools from making anyone “feel discomfort” or “guilt” about race | CBS News
- Librarians throw up red flags about Senate bill that allows lawsuits over materials; college, university libraries exempt | Chicago Tribune
- Flagler School District library plan: parents may ban books for their own kids, but not others | Flagler Live (FL)
- Flagler schools to offer parents opt-out options after ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’ book debate | Daytona Beach News-Journal
- ‘The Hate U Give’ will remain out of ROWVA classrooms while board further reviews policy, curriculum, book | WQAD (IL)
- School board attorney drafts resolution to avoid CRT | Osceola News-Gazette (FL)
- Prayer vigil rebukes controversial books in Walla Walla schools | Union-Bulletin (WA)
- Efforts to ban books at Lancaster County school district part of national trend | Lancaster Online (PA)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- The IRS will start using facial recognition this summer — and you’ll have to send off a selfie if you want to pay your taxes online | Business Insider
- Bills to block biometrics use by NY state and local police reach committees | BiometricUpdate.com
- Democrats unveil bill to ban online ‘surveillance advertising’ | Verge
More privacy news is available at the Voices for Privacy blog.
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- EFF asks appeals court to rule DMCA anti-circumvention provisions violate First Amendment | EFF
- Federal judge rules Virginia’s restricted access to court records violates First Amendment | Jurist
- Supreme Court agrees to hear case on HS coach’s suspension over on-field prayers | The Hill
- Why some LGBTQ students in Utah say their health education is inadequate | Salt Lake Tribune
- Detainees sue Arkansas jail that gave them Ivermectin to treat Covid | New York Times
- In Arkansas, trans teens await an uncertain future | New York Times
- Seven Republican states are pushing a new wave of anti-trans bills | Metro Weekly
- Perhaps Dr. Seuss wasn’t a First Amendment tipping-point after all | Washington Post
- Flag censorship case tests limits of viewpoint discrimination | Courthouse News Service
Academic Freedom & Campus Speech
- Federal judge sides with University of Florida professors in free speech dispute | Gainesville Sun
- Regis Jesuit teacher says school, Archdiocese defamed her in firing over pro-choice student op-ed | Sentinel Colorado
- Professor who called students ‘vectors of disease’ in video is suspended | New York Times
- Academic Freedom Alliance letter to the University of Pennsylvania | Reason
Access
- Libraries, Publishers Battle Over Terms for E-Books’ Use | Bloomberg Law
- Silicon Valley says kids over the age of 13 can handle the big, bad world of social media. Experts say that’s the result of a ‘problematic’ 1990s internet law. | Business Insider
- ‘In technology we trust’ is not the answer to social inequality | VN Express
- Davenport library becomes Iowa’s first to hire social worker | CT Insider
- Washington County: Board votes to eliminate processing fees on overdue library items | Pioneer Press (MN)
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- New Washington law requires home sellers disclose lack of broadband access | TechDirt
- Broadband subsidy slow in reaching much of the rural west | Wyoming Public Media
Social Media
- Fact checkers say YouTube lets its platform be ‘weaponized’ | NBC Boston
- Should bad science be censored on social media? | BBC
- The subversive genius of extremely slow email | GovExec
Copyright
- Welcome to the public domain, Winnie-the-Pooh | EFF
- NFT Group Buys Copy Of Dune For €2.66 Million, Believing It Gives Them Copyright | IFLScience
Information Literacy & Disinformation
- The Latinx community and COVID-disinformation campaigns | New Yorker
- YouTube suspends Fox News host Dan Bongino for Covid disinformation | Forbes
- Conversion therapy disinformation ‘thriving’ online: report | The Hill
- Experts explain the dangers of ‘participatory disinformation’ | CNN
- Schoolkids are falling victim to disinformation and conspiracy fantasies | Scientific American
- Scientists target PR and ad firms they accuse of spreading disinformation | Reuters
- Right-wing apps may promote midterm disinformation, lies | Governing
International News
- Eastern Europe tests new forms of media censorship | New York Times
- China seen backing ‘digital authoritarianism’ in Latin America | Eurasia Review
- These are the countries where Twitter, Facebook and TikTok are banned | Time
- Teacher removed from school board meeting for comments about book with transgender content | Cambridge Today
- Facebook’s Tamil censorship highlights risks to everyone | Intercept
- COVID-19 increased censorship circumvention and access to sensitive topics in China | PNAS
- U.S. imposes sanctions on Ukranians accused of spreading Russian disinformation | Reuters
- US culture war: Why book bans are back | The Week
Around the Web
- Pence family bunny and LGBTQ icon Marlon Bundo has died | LGBTQ Nation
- The 1619 Project, other history books should not be banned from SC’s classrooms | The State
- Teens come out for newly created Kutztown Banned Book Club | Reading Eagle (PA)
- Censoring the Censors: How You Can Fight Back Against Conservative Attacks on Inclusive Books Across the Country | PrideSource
- Opinion: Take it from a high schooler who’s actually learned about CRT: Adults need to chill out | Washington Post
- New approach to teaching race in school divides New Mexico | Register-Citizen
- Why is the GOP demonizing teachers as ‘sinister’ and pushing pedophilia? | Iowa Capitol Dispatch
- The topics that lead book ban requests, according to school leaders | Education Week
- Llano Co. revamps library system after controversy | Highlander News (TX)
- Letter: Censoring US history deprives students of critical skills | St. Louis Today
- Study shows widespread conflict over critical race theory in schools, including in some Bay Area districts | San Francisco Chronicle
- What we don’t want to know | Vice Motherboard
- My Book Was Called ‘Sickening’ On Laura Ingraham’s Show. Here’s The Truth They Didn’t Air. | HuffPost
- Majority of teachers ‘anticipating’ critical race theory backlash despite not teaching it | Newsweek
- A Content Analysis of District School Library Selection Policies in the United States | School Library Research
- ‘Change is afoot’: Indianapolis library starts culture change after allegations of racism | Indianapolis Star
- Support #FReadom and Support Each Other | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- Happy Birthday, A.A. Milne! | Intellectual Freedom Blog
ALA News
- Actress and comedian Molly Shannon to serve as 2022 National Library Week honorary chair
- AASL Curate Project selected for ALA Emerging Leader Work
- Marisha C. Kelly Selected as New ITAL Assistant Editor
- U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono to join ALA President Patricia ‘Patty’ Wong in conversation plus more
- ALA/ARL Seek Feedback on Draft Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework
- PLA announces candidates for 2022 Board Election
Awards & Grant
- Games and Gaming Round Table announces the opening of 2022 “Game On!” Grant Application Period
- 2022 Professional Development Scholarship available
eLearning
- Outreach Services for Underserved Teens; When it comes to teen outreach services, underserved communities provide a variety of challenges. You can’t serve them if you can’t identify them, and this eCourse begins by providing a clear foundation for defining and identifying underserved teens in your community.
- More eLearning opportunites
Publishing
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