Intellectual Freedom News 10/13/2023
Highlights
- LeVar Burton on book bans: Dystopia of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ is now reality | MSNBC
- New First Book research reveals the positive academic impact of diverse books | Unite Against Book Bans
- The New York Public Library and the American Library Association invite library systems and teens to join new campaign | ALA
- Registration and housing now open for PLA 2024 Conference | ALA
- American Library Association to Receive Barbara Bush National Literacy Honors Award from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy | ALA
Censorship
- Failed ‘Gender Queer’ challenge prompts ballot measure to strip library of its independence | Yahoo! News (IA)
- Alabama library mistakenly adds children’s book to “explicit” list because of author’s name | AP (AL)
- Huntsville libary disputes APR’s evidence-based story on relocating LGBTQ books | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
- Saline County Judge fires library director after months of debate over children’s access to books | Arkansas Advocate (AR)
- CT library director resigns due to alleged political pressure over LGBTQ+ inclusion | Hartford Courant (CT)
- Utah author’s children’s book about a kitten is being pulled from school libraries over claims it is ‘sexually suggestive’ | Deseret News (TX)
- Book Bans Are on the Rise in the Gulf South. Here’s What’s Being Challenged in Alabama | Birmingham Watch (AL)
- Freedom to Read: The unsettling increase of censorship in our libraries and schools | Pennsylvania House of Representatives (PA)
- Book bans in Texas spread as new state law takes effect | ProPublica (TX)
- Collier County commissioners cut ties with American Library Association | Florida’s Voice (FL)
- Parents turn out in force to clash and support Cherry Creek in shadow of allegations of library ‘porn’ | Sentinel Colorado (CO)
- After LGBTQ library fight, a Michigan town tries something new: compromise | Bridge Michigan (MI)
- Bookmobile combating book bans coming to Norfolk amid increased calls for restrictions | 13 News Now (VA)]
- Moscow school board contenders talk book bans | Moscow-Pullman Daily News (ID)
- Voters can ensure Central Bucks school board focuses on education, not culture wars — Editorial | Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
- Greenville County Library System lost 5 employees every month in 2022 | Greenville News (SC)
- Employees blame director for lack of developmetn at Greenville library | Greenville News (SC)
- Faith-based groups are now targeting St. Tammany public schools in book ban battle | NOLA.com (LA)
- Voters in Iowa community to decide whether to give City Council more control over library books | AP (IA)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- Bills threaten encrypted platforms used by journalists | Freedom of the Press Foundation
- Cryptography is dying–long live cryptography | Fast Company
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- Groups challenging ‘critical race theory’ ban grow impatient, push judge on stalled lawsuit | USA Today (OK)
- Drag queens grateful after Ohio Supreme Court removes performance ban from ballot | News5Cleveland (OH)
- Supreme Court Declines to Revisit Landmark First Amendment Ruling, Clarence Thomas Calls for Decision to Be Reconsidered | Messenger
- Appeals court keeps block on Florida drag show law in Hamburger Mary’s lawsuit | Click Orlando (FL)
- Justice Department secures agreement in Tennessee school desegregation case | U.S. Dept. of Justice
Academic Freedom & Student Speech
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- Net neutrality’s court fate depends on whether broadband is “telecommunications” | ArsTechnica
- Column: The FCC’s move to restore net neutrality if overdue, and possibly too late | Los Angeles Times
Legislation
State & Local Governance
- ALGOP leadership seeks avenues to cut off state funding to public libraries | Cullman Times (AL)
- Gov. Kay Ivey wants Alabama Public Library Service to tie funding to book policies | Chattanooga Times Free Press (AL)
- Free speech or uncivil discourse? Maine association advises tamping down on public comments at school board meetings | Central Maine (ME)
Copyright
Social Media
Disinformation & Information Literacy
International
- India charges novelist Arundhati Roy over a 2010 speech | New York Times (India)
- Russian authorities fine a human rights advocate for criticizing the war in Ukraine | ABC News (Russia)
- Vietnam Cites Child Safety in Calls for Greater Social Media Censorship Used to Stifle Dissent | Time (Vietnam)
Around the Web
- Library supports ask public to push back at censorship | Alpena News
- Students mobilize to fight censorship | Southern Poverty Law Center
- Is book banning here to stay? | Observer
- Be aware of the unseen cost of censorship in Florida’s schools — Column | Tampa Bay Times
- L.A. Library opens access to books banned in other states | Beverly Press Park Labrea News
- The US library system, once the best in the world, faces death by a thousand cuts | Guardian
- I Grew Up Gay In A Small Town. I Had 1 Safe Place — And Now It’s Under Attack. | HuffPost
- 5 things podcast: Book bans hit fever pitch. Who gets to decide what we can or can’t read? | USA Today
- Read Obama’s powerful letter defending challenged books and free speech | Oprah Daily
- The plot twist behind the strategy of some book ban advocates | Virginia Public Radio
- First Amendment advocates fight growing number of U.S. book bans | Nebraska Examiner
- Scholastic Under Fire for Allowing Schools to Opt Out of ‘Diverse Books’ for Book Fairs | Mary Sue
- Robert Gray: ‘WARNING! BANNED BOOKS AHEAD! Read at Your Own Risk’ | Shelf Awareness
- BookLooks.org fuels the book-banning movement | Information Today
- No need to ban: 7 ways to find out and guide what your child is reading | Palm Beach Post
- Library advocates to host event to draw attention to censorship | Oakland Press
- What is Banned Books Week? | ABC10
- Boston philanthropists launch new effort to ship Floridians ‘banned books’ | WGBH
- No, book bans are never ‘reasonable’ | Education Week
- In a new picture bookf or kids, a lot of random stuff gets banned | NPR
- “Let Freedom Read” is the theme for Banned Books Week 2023 | Tulsa Kids
- Black scholars: Teachers shouldn’t cave to pressure to restrict lessons about U.S. racial history | NC Newsline
- Banned Black history can teach us how to fight right-wing school censorship | Truthout
ALA News
- REFORMA and the ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table announce formal collaboration
- Social Responsibilities Round Table seeks applications for 2024 SRRT Conference Travel Grant
- Core Webinar: Integrative Reflection in Action
- New from ACRL – “Scholarly Communication Librarianship and Open Knowledge”
Subscribe to future issues of Intellectual Freedom News, a free weekly compilation of news delivered to your inbox by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, including
- current book challenges in libraries and schools
- articles about privacy, internet filtering and censorship
- ALA activities, conferences and institutes, products, online learning opportunities, awards and grants, international exchanges, and more
- how to get involved and make the most of what ALA offers