Intellectual Freedom News 10/06/2023
Highlights
- Banned Books Week: A visual dive into an alarming increase in attempts to restrict books | USA Today
- The Trying Present, and the Bright Future, for Warriors Against Book Bans: An Interview with Author and #ALAAC23 Honoree Pat R. Scales | ALA
- Banned Books Week comes at tense time for nation’s libraries and schools | Hill
- Fewer Book Challenges, but a Sharp Rise in Titles Removed from School Libraries | SLJ Censorship Survey
- How book bans impact educators and students | First Book
- Banned book buses roll out for October | Publishers Weekly
- Rising book censorship is also targeting public libraries, American Library Association says | WBUR
- The rising political battle over censorship | Project Censored
- How librarians became Americans free speech heroes | Zocalo
- Executive Director Tracie D. Hall to Depart from the American Library Association | ALA
Censorship
- Iowa book ban prompts disclaimers on Little Free Library exchanges | AP
- Shenandoah County School Board again discusses library book selection policy | Northern Virginia Daily (VA)
- School culture wars push students to form banned book clubs, anti-censorship groups | ABC News
- Black history ‘Underground Railroad’ forms across US after increase of book bans | USA Today
- Nearly a Quarter of School Librarians Have Experienced Harassment Over Books | SLJ Censorship Survey
- North Carolina bans ‘Banned Books Week’ but retracts after media backlash | Guardian (NC)
- ‘We’ve got to follow our process’: Volusia School Board tells Moms for Liberty to file formal book challenges | Palm Coast Observer (FL)
- Little Free Diverse Library to be removed in Rochester | Sippican Week (NY)
- Escondido school district halts library services due to ‘sexually explicit’ book | Coast News Group (CA)
- Kootenai County sheriff calls out ‘explicit’ books in North Idaho libraries | KREM (ID)
- Freedom to Read Advocates Draw Attention to Ban on Banned Books Week | Flathead Beacon (MT)
- Concerned Brooklyn parents of 7th graders say book given to children contains inappropriate, sexual content | News12Brooklyn (NY)
- Learning at Temecula Valley Unified suffers as censorship fears rise | EdSource (CA)
- Lexington City School Board discusses updates to library book selection policies | WSLS (VA)
- NBC 5 Investigates uncovers record number of requests to challenge books in Chicago-area schools, libraries | NBC Chicago (IL)
- Ousted Gillette Librarian Sues, Claims Local Family Conspired Against, Defamed Her | Cowboy State Daily (WY)
- Former library director files workplace discrimination complaint, defamation lawsuit | Gillette News Record (WY)
- UPDATE: A case study in unethical journalism | Popular Information (FL)
- Advocates, school board members question validity of parent’s 93 book challenges | WCSC (SC)
- Samuels library in Va. has funding restored with LGBTQ policies unchanged | Washington Post (VA)
- How specific book-ban requests entered an Illinois school system–from inside the district | NBC Chicago (IL)
- Alachua County school district removes book about transgender teen after parent complaint | WUFT (FL)
- What’s behind the national surge in book bans? A low-tech website tied to Moms for Liberty | USA Today
- Lexington School Board Takes Comments On Book, Hears Draft Book Policy | News-Gazette (VA)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- Government Watchdog Calls Out Dangers in Section 702 Surveillance | Reason
- New group attacking iPhone encryption backed by U.S. political dark-money network | Intercept
- Unfamiliar and unregulated territory: Protecting kids in the Metaverse | Forbes
- Keeping our kids safe from the EdTech surveillance industry | ACLU
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- Young People Left in Limbo as Battle Over Transgender Care Shifts to Court | New York Times
- Supreme Court starts new season Monday with cases on First, Second Amendment | Must Read Alaska
- After lawsuit, a town elects first Black leaders in its 200-year history | Washington Post (MD)
- Federal appeals court expands limits on Biden administration in First Amendment case | USA Today
- California’s age-appropriate design code blocked on constitutional grounds | DG Law (CA)
- Florida and Texas social media censorship laws headed to U.S. Supreme Court | CBS47
- Supreme Court is increasingly putting Christian’s First Amendment rights ahead of others’ dignity and rights to equal protection | Conversation
- Pekiomen Valley School District’s bathroom policy sparks reaction from activists, ACLU | 6ABC (PA)
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- Net neutrality is still needed despite its quiet hiatus | Washington Post
- FCC Chair Rosenworcel proposes resotration of Net Neutrality rules | In Compliance
State & Local Governance
- Ryan Walters asked for tips on inappropriate material in Oklahoma schools, people sent jokes and jeers | Frontier (OK)
- The First Amendment challenge to New York’s platform disclosure law | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (NY)
- Gov. Ivey requests changes to Alabama library rules; $6.6 million state money ‘contingent’ on policies | Alabama.com (AL)
Social Media
- The hidden press implications of the Supreme Court’s social media cases | Freedom of the Press Foundation
Disinformation & Information Literacy
- How generative AI is boosting the spread of disinformation and propaganda | MIT Technology Review
- The disinformation sleuths: A key role for scientists in impending elections | Nature
- The U.S. isn’t ready for the new age of AI-fueled disinformation–But China is | TIME
International
- The US warns of a Chinese global disinformation campaign that could undermine peace and stability | AP
Around the Web
- Banned and Challenged Mystery Books to Read Now | PBS
- The most dangerous idea in the library? Empathy | News from the States
- The spy who shushed me: How the government is removing our right to read in private | LitHub
- Great Books Will Always Be Their Own Best Defense | New York Times
- LNL: Banned Book Week examines freedom of speech | Gray DC
- Library corner: Freedom to read, freedom to think, freedom to choose | Sky-Hi News
- This virtual library restores banned books to read for free | Mashable
- Opinion: Don’t think it can happen here? The U.S. government once burned books it didn’t like | Los Angeles Times
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh enters Banned Books Week with more urgent mission | Pittsburgh City Paper
- Why you should read these 51 banned books now | USA Today
- Commentary: We must challenge the subtle censorship of books as much as the brazen | Press Herald
- Not satisfied with schools, book banners are now targeting adults’ right to read | Los Angeles Times
- UChicago Library expands access to banned books amid national debate over censorship | UChicago News
- ‘Banned Books Week:’ Challenges to books expected to reach record highs in 2023 | WKYT
- Book bans are surging — and taking an emotional toll on many authors | CNN
- Michael Connelly, Nikki Grimes, Judy Blume and other authors unite against book bans | NPR
- Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books | Conversation
- John Green talks to Indy fans about banned books access and other things close to his heart | IndyStar
- Freedom to Read Day in New York City | City Life
- Libraries celebrate national Banned Books Week as censorship increases | WBNG
- ‘This moment is unprecedented’ — Charlotee Mecklenburg Libraries displaying banned books to encourage the freedom to read | WCNC
- ‘Banned books, banned people’ | Provincetown Independent
ALA News
- PLA seeks responses to 2023 Public Library Technology Survey
- LibTech Insights, technology content channel from Choice, announces partnership with Gary Price
- Core Webinar Series: Transgender People in Libraries
- Run for ALA President-elect or Councilor-at-Large by petition
- Core Webinar: The Search For Meaningful Work; Overcoming Low Morale, Quiet Quitting, and Dead End Jobs
- Business Reference Experts Select Annual List of BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Recources
- ALA welcomes FCC Chair Rosenworcel’s proposal to reinstate network neutrality rules
- Understanding and leveraging your data
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