Highlights

• ‘It’s an act of resistance:’ Groups ramp up efforts in the fight to stop book bans | USA Today
• A Look Ahead to 2024: Laws and Book Bans in Florida, Iowa, and Illinois | Censorship News | School Library Journal
• 2023 Year in Review: A look back at news that affected libraries and library workers | American Libraries

Censorship

• Editorial: Let’s rally around our librarians, Lafayette | NOLA.com (LA)
• Battle for library cost Samuels $100K | Winchester Star (VA)
• Amidst book challenges, Gadsden Public Library could lose minor funding source | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
• ‘Obscene’ book debate moves from Georgia’s schools to public libraries | Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
• Embroiled in controversy: Emotions run high during library meeting | Daily Standard (OH)
  • Mercer County Commissioners Appoint Strable To Replace Morrison On Library Board Of Trustees | Mercer County Outlook (OH)
• Year in review: Attempt at restricting books in Garfield County Libraries | Post Independent (CO)
• Judge says state can argue in support of Escambia County School Board in book removal case | Pensacola News Journal (FL)
• EDITORIAL: It’s easy to understand, but hard to condone, Orange’s book-ban backdown | Orlando Sentinel (FL)
• In 2023, Connecticut librarians faced threats online and condemnation as national trend played out | Hartford Courant (CT)
• Missouri school board removes Black history, literature courses over CRT fears: ‘Waging culture wars’ | WPDE (MO)
  • Missouri school board reinstates Black history courses on condition they are ‘politically neutral’ | KATV (MO)
• At a D.C. school, proposed film event sparks outrage amid Israel-Gaza war | Washington Post (D.C.)
• Year in Review (No. 2) Library deals book challenges as director retires, interim director resigns | Cullman Times (AL)
• Cape Girardeau Public Library says no pornographic or obscene materials in collection | Southeast Missourian (MO)
• Massachusetts police dept searches middle school classroom for book ‘Gender Queer,’ sparking outrage | WPDE (MA)
  • Massachusetts police chief apologizes after middle school searched for LGBTQ book with ‘concerning illustrations’ | NBC News (MA)
• Library book selection policy dominates Shenandoah County School Board agenda for 2023 | Northern Virginia Daily (VA)
• SFPD Investigating Alleged Criminal Conduct Occurring During Protest of Drag Queen Story Hour | San Fernando Sun (CA)
• Library in middle of a brewing civil liberties vs. safety face-off | Phelps County Focus (MO)
• Following another book removal, Lexington 5 school board members weigh in on policy | Lexington County Chronicle (SC)
• Both sides of library debate call for state library service to release “secret blacklist” | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
• Jack of Hearts and Other Parts will stay on the shelf at Mayfield High School | Las Cruces Sun News (NM)
• Queer Louisianans Are Fighting Book Bans—And Winning | In These Times (LA)
• Iowa school district removes over 70 books without following proper review procedures | National Coalition Against Censorship (IA)
• Thousands of books were banned in Central Florida in 2023. Here’s what to expect in 2024 | WMFE (FL)
• Amidst book challenges, Gadsden Public Library could lose minor funding source | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
• Book banning, and the hypocrisy that fuels it, rears its ugly head in Ada once again | Opinion | Idaho Statesman (ID)
• West Michigan school district decides to keep 8 books on library shelves after review | Michigan Live (MI)
• In 2024, more censorship and bans: FL, TX removing large batches of books in public schools | Florida Phoenix
• Washoe library board meeting results in hourslong public comment. Again. | Nevada Independent (NV)
  • Library director’s annual evaluation sparks controversy: Supporters and critics clash at Washoe County Libraries board meeting (videos) | This Is Reno (NV)
• ACLU of Ohio urges school board to reconsider policy banning anything that promotes ‘activist causes’ | WPDE (OH)
• Library Commission reviews proposed library policy changes | News Miner (AK)
• Worcester County Schools stick with book policy | Ocean City Today (NJ)
• School Board opens possibility for book removal | Crow River Media (MN)
• Dozens of Pa. school districts have changed book policies since 2019, analysis shows | Philly Burbs (PA)
• Soldotna Pride postpones drag story hour following online rhetoric | KDLL (AK)
• Northern Justice Project, ACLU of Alaska file preliminary injunction to put 56 removed books back on Mat-Su school library shelves | KINY (AK)
• Hamilton East Public Library board ratifies revised collection policy | Current (IN)
• Huntington Beach clarifies its stance, says it will recognize Black History Month, other cultural events | Daily Pilot (CA)
• When a Pulitzer-winning book is banned | Nieman Storyboard (TN)
• Transgender Themes and Sexuality in Literature Spark Debate at New Prairie Middle School | BNN Breaking (IN)

Privacy & Cybersecurity

• Your Car Is Tracking You. Abusive Partners May Be, Too. | New York Times
• FTC Seeks to Strengthen Privacy Protections of Children Online | JDSupra
• Kids Online Safety Shouldn’t Require Massive Online Censorship and Surveillance: 2023 Year in Review | EFF
• How Strangers Got My Email Address From ChatGPT’s Model | New York Times
• One of the Most Controversial US Spy Programs Just Got Quietly Renewed | Mother Jones
• Surveillance Self-Defense: 2023 Year in Review | EFF
• ‘Proceed with caution:’ AI poses issues of discrimination, surveillance | WBUR

First Amendment & Civil Rights

• Issues That Matter: Readers’ Rights: A First Amendment Discussion on Book Bans | NPR
• Librarians, who lost jobs for not banning books, are fighting back | NPR
• Temecula schools, board President Joseph Komrosky sued for booting guests from meetings | Orange County Register (CA)
• Digital Rights for LGBTQ+ People: 2023 Year in Review | EFF
• ACLU says states saw record number of anti-LGBTQ bills in 2023 | Hill
• Ohio Governor Blocks Bill Banning Transition Care for Minors | New York Times
• Federal Lawsuit Challenges Mississippi’s Ban On Marijuana Advertising, Citing Free-Speech Rights | Marijuana Moment
• A Wisconsin university chancellor was sacked after publishing his own porn series with his wife. Now they say the firing infringed on their free speech rights. | Business Insider (WI)
• First Amendment claim struck down in Project Veritas case focused on diary of Biden’s daughter | NBC News
• State, Minnehaha County agree to pay legal fees after separate First Amendment lawsuit losses | Dakota News Now (SD)
• Book bans use ‘parental rights’ as cover to attack civil liberties, Democrat warns | Guardian
• ACLU, Free Press, and First Amendment Rights Orgs Urge Courts to Unseal Documents Related to FBI Raid on Journalist | ACLU (FL)
• School board members could soon be blocked from blocking people − and deleting their comments − on social media | Conversation

Academic Freedom & Student Speech

• College DEI offices now illegal, among other laws taking effect on New Year’s Day | KXXV (TX)
• How a Proxy Fight Over Campus Politics Brought Down Harvard’s President | New York Times

Legislation

• Laws on book challenges, ‘indoctrination’ create culture of fear in Arkansas school libraries | Arkansas Advocate (AR)
• US federal judge blocks portions of Iowa book ban | Jurist (IA)
  • Iowa’s LGBTQ+ Books Ban and ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law Partially Blocked by Federal Judge | Advocate (IA)
  • Iowans speak out against new book ban law at public hearing | KCRG (IA)
• Law prohibiting book bans in Illinois now in effect | CBS News Chicago (IL)
• Wisconsin Considers Prosecuting Teachers and Librarians for ‘Obscene’ Books | 74 (WI)
• Two Illinois laws go after ‘deep fakes’ and ‘doxxing’ beginning Jan. 1 | Center Square (IL)
• States looking to 2024 to pass revised kids’ online safety bills | Washington Post
• State House legislation in 2024 could change what your child reads in school | FOX Carolina (SC)
• Proposed bill would allow parents to sue school districts over ‘inappropriate’ books | Yahoo! News (TN)

State & Local Governance

• League City considers imposing library fee on non-county residents | Galveston Daily News (TX)
• Only 6 book titles submitted to Alabama Public Library Services’ list of ‘controversial books’ so far | WIAT (AL)

Net Neutrality & Broadband Access

• In the Trenches of Broadband Policy: 2023 Year In Review | EFF
• In Year-End Message, FCC Chairwoman Urges Affordable Connectivity Funding | Broadband Breakfast
• Higher-Ed Associations Urge FCC to Support Net Neutrality | Government Technology
• 12 Days: FCC Issued Rules Against Digital Discrimination | Broadband Breakfast

Social Media

• Substack Says It Will Not Ban Nazis or Extremist Speech | New York Times
  • Substack faces user revolt over anti-censorship stance on neo-Nazis | Guardian

Disinformation & Information Literacy

• The Problem of Misinformation in an Era Without Trust | New York Times
• ‘Stakes are really high’: misinformation researcher changes tack for 2024 US election | Guardian
• 2024 elections are ripe targets for foes of democracy | NPR
• Why Fake News About Climate Change Is Still So Effective | Mother Jones

International

• Defying Censorship: The Gay Librarian Who Saved LGBTQ+ Books in Russia | BNN Breaking (Russia)
• Misinformation is becoming more sophisticated in Taiwan | NPR (Taiwan)
• Extremist Groups Spread Disinformation Online To Provoke Conflict During Indonesian Election – Analysis | Eurasia Review (Indonesia)
• Russia Hacked Surveillance Cameras to Target Sites in Kyiv | Bank Info Security (Ukraine)

Around the Web

• In Missouri, years of efforts to ban books take a toll on school librarians: ‘It’s too painful’ | KCUR
• Meet Three Of The Neighbors Who United To Defend Public Education In Central Bucks School District | Bucks County Beacon
• Half of challenged books return to schools. LGBTQ books are banned most. | Washington Post
• The Post reviewed 1,000 school book challenges. Here’s what we found. | Washington Post
• Forbidden Knowledge | Slate
• Are These Topics Too Adult for the Youngest Readers? Take a Look. | New York Times
• Opinion  Book-banning is not a substitute for parenting | Washington Post
• What changed after a California school district banned teaching critical race theory? | NPR
• Library’s new adult club to discuss banned books | Enid News & Eagle
• PEN America, Scholastic Partner to Support Banned Authors | Publishers Weekly
• 2023 Year in Review: Anti-LGBTQ Online Hate and Disinformation | GLAAD
• Museum World Hit by Cyberattack on Widely Used Software | New York Times
• Former interim CEO Nichelle Hayes departs Indianapolis Public Library | Indianapolis Business Journal
• The Right is Winning its War on Schools | Yahoo! News

ALA News

• Core Webinar – Best of Core Forum: BIPOC Women Leadership in Academic Libraries
• Salary Equity and Library Workers Free Webinar January 11
• Level Up Your Career with RUSA eLearning
• ALA announces slate of petition council candidates for 2024 election
• Ernest A. DiMattia, Jr. Award Call for Nominations
• Call for applications for Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children
• Call for Nominations for Scholastic Library Publishing Award
• Nominations open for 2024 ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award
• Seeking Nominations for the Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship
• Equality Award Call for Nominations
• ALA Medal of Excellence Call for Nominations
• EBSCO Information Services Library Staff Development Award Nominations
• Beta Phi Mu Award Call for Nomination
• Joseph W. Lippincott Award Call for Nomination
• Nominations open for 2024 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity

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