Intellectual Freedom News 12/19/2025
Highlights
- US librarians tackle ‘manufactured crisis’ of book bans to protect LGBTQ+ rights | Guardian
- IFRT Seeks Nominations for the 2026 Intellectual Freedom Awards | ALA
- American Library Association announces slate of petition council candidates for 2026 election | ALA
- 2025 Book Censorship Wrapped: Trends, Challenges, and Successes Over The Year | Book Riot
Censorship
- A book advocacy group is crowdsourcing public records requests to track book bans across Texas | Houston Chronicle (TX)
- Library board ousted after voting to keep children’s book about trans boy | Washington Post (NC)
- North Carolina Ousts Entire Library Board Over Book With Trans Kid | New Republic (NC)
- York County library board votes 6-1 on new collection development policy decried as anti-LGBTQ | WCNC (NC)
- 36 books removed, 95 restricted in Bellbrook school libraries | Dayton Daily News (OH)
- ‘I trust parents’: Gardner-Edgerton school board member votes against ‘Jesus Land’ book ban | KCTV (KS)
- Manheim Township superintendent explains book review process after resident concerns | Lancaster Online (PA)
- What Is The National Book Rating Index?: Another “New” Review Tool Attempting to Legitimize Bias in Book Evaluation | Well Sourced
- Tennessee whistleblower says library board chair sought private data as part of state’s book purge | Advocate (TN)
- NC Republican lawmakers grill Chapel Hill-Carrboro School leaders over parental rights law | NC Newsline (NC)
- Residents flood county commissioners meeting over library board controversy | Western Slope Now (CO)
- Families voice concern after North Little Rock School District removes books from online platform | NPR (AR)
- Six Rivers Media publishes group’s list of ‘inappropriate’ books | Johnson City Press (TN)
- JC Schools’ book removal info unclear despite TN book ban efforts | Johnson City Press (TN)
- Library board candidates chime in on restricted access | Sopris Sun (CO)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- Regular People Are Rising Up Against AI Surveillance Cameras | Futurism
- Live cameras are tracking faces in New Orleans. Who should control them? | NPR
- Americans’ Privacy and Data: Congress Warned Over Warrantless Surveillance | Military.com
- AI Bathroom Monitors? Welcome To America’s New Surveillance High Schools | Forbes
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- News Track: What’s happening with Iowa’s school book ban law? Latest on appeals | Gazette (IA)
- Born Deaf and Blind, She’s Caught in Trump’s Anti-Diversity Crusade | New York Times
- Massapequa School District Board president, others, sue top state officials, claiming they are being censored | Long Island Press (NY)
- Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship | New York Times
- Trump tests the First Amendment: A timeline | CNN
- 6th Circuit blocks Mich. ban on conversion therapy on free-speech grounds | Free Speech Center (MI)
Academic Freedom & Student Speech
- How schools still abuse ‘institutional neutrality’ to silence speech | FIRE
- bell hooks Taught Us to Imagine Freedom. Universities Are Forcing Us to Fight for It. | Ms. Magazine
- Frustration grows over resolution limiting what U departments, institutes can say | Minnesota Star Tribune (MN)
- Utah System Head Calls Out Weber State for Censorship | Inside Higher Ed (UT)
Legislation
- Massachusetts bill would make it difficult to challenge, remove questionable books in libraries | Business & Politics (MA)
- Proposed law would allow for removal of library board members | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
- Republicans fail to override vetoes of book ban, bathroom bills; vow to return to issues | New Hampshire Bulletin (NH)
State & Local Governance
- Michigan House cancels $645M in state spending without Senate OK | Bridge MI (MI)
- Conservative podcaster, author of Christian romances added to Mesa County library board after rowdy public meeting | Colorado Sun (CO)
- Commissioners on notice over library board picks | Daily Sentinel (CO)
- Push by conservatives to re-do membership of Charleston County library board won’t move forward | Post and Courier (SC)
Journalism & Media
- Digital platform aims to preserve journalism from outlets closed or threatened | Washington Post
- Trump Files $10 Billion Suit Against BBC Over Documentary | New York Times
Social Media & AI
- Shoshana Zuboff, philosopher: ‘AI is surveillance capitalism continuing to evolve and expand’ | El Pais
- A Critical Look at Trump’s AI Executive Order | Tech Policy
Around the Web
- PW’s 2025 Person of the Year: Nihar Malaviya | Publishers Weekly
- The Supreme Court Just Opened the Door to a New Era of Book Bans | TIME
- PEN America Elects New President at Fraught Time for Free Speech | New York Times
- A Gift That Gets Children Reading | New York Times
- MAGA book burners target Mesa County Public Library system and a call to action! | Anne Landman
- Richmond creates FOIA Library, but not all records are eligible | WRIC
- John Green Book Tops Most-Banned Books Since 2021, PEN America Announces | People
- Librarians film shines spotlight on book bans, TN librarians react | Tennessean
- The Bills Igniting Book Bans | PEN America
- Gallatin students learn about music censorship from rock legend who fought it | WSMV
ALA News
- ALA welcomes pathbreaking study on the state of the nation’s library facilities
- Core Webinar: Transforming LibGuides: A Case Study
- New Research Examines School Library Smartphone Use in Croatia
- A comprehensive handbook for small public library management
- AASL Announces Candidates for 2026 Election
- Core Webinar: Leadership Skills Through Professional Service
- Social Responsibilities Round Table seeks nominations for the 2026 Herb Biblo Outstanding Leadership Award for Social Justice & Equality
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