Intellectual Freedom News 12/20/2024
Highlights
- PW Notables 2024: Skip Dye | Publishers Weekly
- Ten honorees receive prestigious I Love My Librarian Award for outstanding public service | ALA
Censorship
- Groups urge school officials to keep anatomy, other health-info-related books in school libraries | Florida Phoenix (FL)
- ‘Graphic’ book won’t be banned from Portage curriculum, district decides | Michigan Live (MI)
- Spanish Fort mayor says no place in library for teen sex guide; New library board members appointed | 1819 News (AL)
- Speaker complaint on transgender book disrupts Murfreesboro school board meeting | Daily News Journal (TN)
- Fairhope library hires new director amid controversy over books | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
- Hernando School Board bounces three books from shelves | Suncoast News (FL)
- Lancaster Public Library’s staff, budget limits pushed after losing funding | WGAL (PA)
- GOP-led county takes control of library spurring fears of book bans | LGBTQ Nation (VA)
- Bellaire Library board won’t restrict access to material | Record-Eagle (MI)
- Gardner Edgerton board votes to remove book featuring trans character from school’s library | Johnson County Post (KS)
- New policy at St. Francis Area Schools puts spotlight on book bans | KARE (MN)
- Derby school board rejects social studies curriculum; majority says it’s biased against Trump | Kansas Public Radio (KS)
- Denton City Council approves library board nominee amid book ban concerns | KERA (TX)
- Liberty Lake appoints new library board members amid controversy | KHQ (WA)
- Prattville council makes controversial library board appointments | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
- Osseo parents and St. Francis school board want book review site to help decide what’s in libraries | Minnesota Star Tribune
- Appeals Court Splits Verdict on School District’s Sunshine Violations in Library Books Case | Flagler Live (FL)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- 9 tips on how to protect student privacy when using AI tools | Chalkbeat
- Top Senator Warns Sweeping New Surveillance Powers Will “Inevitably Be Misused” by Trump | Intercept
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- Citing tax dollars spent, judge urges Florida school district to settle book ban lawsuit | Tallahassee Democrat (FL)
- Christian Nationalists Are Reshaping Texas’s Public School Curricula | Truthout (TX)
- Justices to Hear Case on South Carolina’s Bid to Defund Planned Parenthood | New York Times
- Here’s how Donald Trump might ban trans athletes from competing in sports | PBS
- Trump nominates conservative culture warrior to lead DOJ’s civil rights division | NBC News
Academic Freedom & Student Speech
- State University in Buffalo Gets First Amendment Suit Tossed | Bloomberg Law (NY)
- DEI Bans Flourished in 2024. Politicians Aren’t Finished | Inside Higher Ed
- The fall of academic freedom with a DEI twist | Hill
Legislation
- ‘Politically based, ineffective’ Pa. House bill could change social media censorship | WTAJ (PA)
- Anti-LGBTQ+ lawmaker files bill to ban Pride flags from government buildings | LGBTQ Nation (FL)
- Bill to charge Ohio teachers would combat ‘obscene’ classroom books, lawmaker says | WCMH (OH)
- Antonio Denounces Censorship Bill | Ohio Senate (OH)
- S.C. lawmaker pushes for restrictions on some library books | WRDW-TV (SC)
- South Carolina Senate Bill 104 | Legiscan
State & Local Governance
- Florida to spend up to $15 million on school material review technology for DeSantis laws | Talahassee Democrat (FL)
- Under pressure from some conservative activists, Sununu pulls state librarian nominee | NHPR (NH)
- “Viewpoint Diversity” Indiana law denies students the ability to digest this election season in the classroom | PEN America (IN)
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- Supreme Court Refuses to Disturb N.Y. Low-Income Broadband Rate Law | BroadbandBreakfast
- FCC’s Authority on Digital Discrimination Intact: Legal Experts | BroadbandBreakfast
Journalism & Media
- Trump’s $15m settlement with ABC shook the First Amendment’s foundation. It’s just the beginning | Independent
- Trump and His Picks Threaten More Lawsuits Over Critical Coverage | New York Times
- How much abuse can a local newspaper reporter take? | Washington Post
Social Media
- TikTok Asks Supreme Court to Block Law Banning Its U.S. Operations | New York Times
Disinformation & Media Literacy
International
- Online safety or censorship? Malaysia’s parliament passes two contentious media bills | Global Voices (Malaysia)
- Serbia: “A Digital Prison”: Surveillance and the suppression of civil society in Serbia | Amnesty International (Serbia)
- School community raises flap over ‘inappropriate’ flags in yearbook | Midland Today (Canada)
Around the Web
- Freedom of expression: The journey of navigating the political landscape of banned books | Los Angeles Times High School Insider
- OPINION: As book bans reach historic levels, more educators should get involved in school governance | Hechinger Report
- Texas book bans won’t prevent students from reading controversial books | San Antonio Express-News
- Local libraries adopt the ‘Library Bill of Rights’ and keep state funding | Effingham Daily News
- A dark vision for U.S. education sees an end to progressive ideas with suppression by federal money | Milwaukee Independent
- 3 Ways Trump’s Plan Can Harm Kids with Disabilities | Word in Black
- Bartenders, bookworms and other unsung heroes gave us a little hope in 2024 | NOLA
- A Hegseth DOD comes with a battle against public school education | Politico
- School Choice for Some But Not for All? | 74
- School Boards Tied Up By Book Bans Face Harassment, Struggle to Address Other Issues | School Library Journal
- Disney Pulls Transgender Storyline from Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose’ Streaming Series (Exclusive) | Hollywood Reporter
- Seattle Planned to Close Up to 21 Public Schools — Here’s How We Stopped Them | Truthout
- Saddleback librarian Alicia Zach reflects on book censorship | Lariat
ALA News
- Registration Opens for 2025 AASL National Conference
- PLA announces candidates for 2025 Board Election
- Joseph W. Lippincott Award Call for Nomination
- American Library Association announces slate of petition council candidates for 2025 election
- High-impact digital library outreach and instruction
- ALA Core Margaret Mann Citation Applications Due February 28
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