Intellectual Freedom News 1/7/2022
Highlights
- ALA publishes state legislative toolkit for legislative advocacy
- Georgia librarian: Banning books helps politicians but hurts students | Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “When I read the recent headline in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution entitled “Movement would ban LGBTQ books, online materials from school libraries,” I felt like I was in an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” I felt like I had been blasted to the past. But, no, it is not the 1950s or 1960s. It is 2022, and our “leaders” are trying to ban books.” Guest Column by Cicely Lewis.
Censorship
- Book bans in schools are catching fire. Black authors say uproar isn’t about students | NBC News
- Critical race theory debate spurs bills banning schools teaching ‘concepts that divide’ | Indianapolis Star
- Political roundup: Lawmakers favor school board control in book complaints | Tahlequah Daily Press (OK)
- Teton library adopts new anti-censorship policy | Laramie Boomerang (WY)
- Movement would ban LGBTQ books, online materials from school libraries | Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Lamar Consolidated ISD reviewing book content after complaints | Fort Bend Star (TX)
- Controversial books remain in Rockwood libraries despite challenges | Lancer Feed (MO)
- Concerns about removal of book from school library brought to Pennridge committee | Reporter (PA)
- Pitt County school board votes masks required, discusses books read in middle school | WNCT (NC)
- Concerns over extensive book review at North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas | National Coalition Against Censorship
- Auditor targets anti-racism books in Mississippi libraries: ‘A cancer on our society’ | Mississippi Free Press
- Pella city leaders discuss removing controversial LGBTQ book from public library | KTVZ (IA)Pella city council to discuss library selection, review process | KNIA-KRLS (IA)
- Gov. Kim Reynolds supports legislation targeting school books | Axios Des Moines
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- Conducting a Privacy Audit | ALA eLearning. A 90-minute workshop with Julie Oborny & Erin Berman on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.
- Facial recognition, privacy, and the First Amendment | Futurist
- Come the Metaverse, can privacy exist? | Wall Street Journal
- Which states will consider CCPA-like consumer privacy bills in 2022? | JDSupra
More privacy news is available at the Voices for Privacy blog.
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- America’s favorite flimsy pretext for limiting free speech | Atlantic
- Judge blocks Navy vaccine rule: “No COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment” | ArsTechnica
- New survey of 4,000 Americans: We agree that speech is important, but disagree on what’s acceptable post-2020 | Knight Foundation
Academic Freedom & Campus Speech
- Academic freedom and (anti) social media? | College & Research Libraries
- Federal judge denies University of Florida’s motion to dismiss professors’ First Amendment lawsuit | Forbes
- Amid tensions with faculty over COVID and academic freedom, UF president to step down | MSN
- The China Initiative’s chilling effect on academic freedom [podcast] | WBUR
Access
- Orland Park Library starts book club for developmentally disabled | Patch
- Hochul Vetoes New York’s Library E-book Bill | Publishers’ Weekly
- ALA disappointed in New York Governor’s rejection of ebook equity legislation | American Library Association
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- White House expected to make fresh push to confirm Biden nominees for FTC, FCC | Reuters
- New FCC affordable broadband program launches | Daily Dot
- FCC chairwoman tells republicans she won’t cave on net neutrality | Daily Dot
Social Media
- Facebook opposes vaccine critic’s attempt to reinstate ‘censorship’ claims | MediaPost
- Nobody is stepping up at Twitter | New York Times
Information Literacy & Disinformation
- DHS Secretary: U.S. seeing growing connection between disinformation and domestic extremism | The Hill
- Shared history of January 6 is impeded by disinformation, denial, and diversion | CNN
- House GOP committee deletes tweet spreading disinformation on Covid boosters after backlash | KTVZ
- Twitter bans Rep. Greene’s personal account for COVID claims | ABC News
- ‘It can happen again’: Disinformation splits nation as anniversary of Capitol siege approaches | Tribune-Democrat
- Disinformation, potent weapon against powerful women | Straits Times
International News
- Sweden launches Psychological Defense Agency to counter disinformation | Forbes
- Polish far-right party banned from Facebook over alleged COVID disinformation | Euronews
- How social media regulation could affect the press | Committee to Protect Journalists
Around the Web
- Director hire could cost ImagineIF state accreditation | Daily Inter Lake
- Social issues like critical race theory set to dominate Indiana education legislation | Indianapolis Star
- ‘Move over, God, guns, and abortion. Make room for CRT’ in Kentucky General Assembly | Courier Journal
- Critical race theory, school choice loom large over Kansas lawmakers. Can common ground be reached? | Topeka Capital-Journal
- Foundations of Information Literacy: A Book Review | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- The Trend Continues: Books with Civil Rights Themes Challenged in Schools | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- Black parents push back against right-wing attacks on ‘critical race theory’ | The 74
- The perfect cover to continue creating racists: debate over critical race theory | CT Mirror
- How ‘cultural Marxism’ and ‘critical race theory’ became dangerously misunderstood | Philadelphia Inquirer
- GOP sees ‘huge red wave’ potential by targeting critical race theory | Politico
- JK Rowling: Performing arts school drops author’s name from house over transgender comments | GBN
- Dog whistle politics and the myth of critical race theory in schools | Af-Am Point of View
- Five podcasts discussing book banning | School Library Journal
- Georgia librarian: Banning books helps politicians but hurts students | Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- The vigilante next door | Slate
- Teachers at culture war front lines with Jan. 6 education | Associated Press
- Proposed [Flagler County] School Board resolution would denounce behavior, not hate groups | Palm Coast Observer
- NCAC offers support to [Downers Grove] Illinois school district in updating book challenge policies | National Coalition Against Censorship
ALA News
- PLA sponsors two public library workers in ALA Emerging Leaders program
- ALA disappointed in New York Governor’s rejection of ebook equity legislation
Awards & Grant
eLearning
Publishing
- Core’s guide to managing grey literature
- ACRL releases “Academic Library Mentoring: Fostering Growth and Renewal”
- Sourcebooks and American Library Association present three one-year reading journals
- Communities of practice in the academic library
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