Intellectual Freedom News 3/29/2024
Highlights
- The post-2020 surge in calls for banning books, visualized | Washington Post
- Nation to celebrate library workers’ contributions, April 9 | ALA
Censorship
- NCAC protests the disposal of hundreds of school library books at New York City’s PS 55 | NCAC (NY)
- Books moved in Greenville, South Carolina, library after complaints | WYFF (SC)
- Huntington Beach Moves Ahead on Privatizing Library Management | Voice of OC (CA)
- Fired Prattville library director demands reinstatement, retractions | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
- Illinois Stands at a Crossroads: Secretary of State Defends Library Freedom in Metropolis | Country Herald (IL)
- Amidst packed house, city council votes to reappoint MPL board of trustees president | Times-Republican (IA)
- Pennsylvania Drag Queen Story Hour canceled amid bomb concerns | Advocate (PA)
- Drag story hour at library canceled after suspicious package and threats, authorities say | Washington Post (PA)
- Lancaster County commissioners hold first meeting since bomb threat, evacuation | Lancaster Online (PA)
- Lancaster County commissioners hear public comment on Drag Queen Story Hour cancellation, bomb threats | WGAL (PA)
- Reading library receives bomb threat just before pride storytime | Boston.com (MA)
- Three school board members face recalls in 2024 over district book policies | Ballotpedia
- ‘Books have been a hot topic:’ Coatesville school board votes against accepting 2 donations for now | Lancaster Online (PA)
- Suburban school district removes book program for being ‘left-leaning’ | WGN (IL)
- Montgomery County directs citizen board to review, and potentially remove, library books | Texas Tribunte (TX)
- School Board chair aims to remove ‘sexually explicit’ books from FCPS libraries | Winchester Star (VA)
- Speakers demand removal of ‘pornographic’ books from Fort Bend ISD libraries | Fort Bend Star (TX)
- Applications open for Fresno County’s ‘community standards’ library book review committee | Fresnoland (CA)
- SFPD Files Recommended Charges Against Drag Story Hour Protestors with the DA | San Fernando Valley Sun (CA)
- Huntsville-Madison Library updates policies to “uphold intellectual freedom” | Alabama Political Reporter (AL)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- ACLU Statement on OMB Memo for AI Use by Federal Agencies | ACLU
- Who’s Watching Whom?: The Dangers of Surveillance Capitalism | Psychology Today
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- High school teacher and students sue over Arkansas’ ban on critical race theory | AP (AR)
- Courts Should Affirm First Amendment Rights of Youths in the Digital Age: The Case for a 21st–Century Tinker | CATO Institute
- Chinese students, professor challenge state law | Capitolist (FL)
- Satanic Temple sues Shelby County Schools over alleged First Amendment violation | Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN)
- Librarians fired over right-wing book bans turn to civil rights laws to fight wrongful termination | Milwaukee Independent
- Library exodus: Conservative political groups use book ban ideology to attack advocacy association | Milwaukee Independent
Academic Freedom & Student Speech
- After Texas’s DEI Ban, College Students Are Reconsidering State Schools | Nation (TX)
- Youngkin administration reviews race, DEI syllabi for VCU, George Mason courses | Virginia Mercury (VA)
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders colleges to update free speech policies, punish antisemitic language | Spectrum News 1 (TX)
Legislation
- Amid book bans, DEI cuts and ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws, 7 states will mandate LGBTQ-inclusive curricula | Yahoo! News
- Idaho library materials bill moves to Senate for amendments | Idaho Capital Sun (ID)
- Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan Highlighting Legislation to Prevent Book Bans | Lakeland PBS (MN)
- West Virginia governor signs vague law allowing teachers to answer questions about origin of life | WHEC (WV)
- Georgia Senate passes restrictions on transgender student-athletes, sex education | WABE (GA)
- Law that would ban the American Library Association from Georgia falls short on final day of session | WABE (GA)
- Vermont Senate advances bill to discourage book banning | WCAX (VT)
State & Local Governance
- Utah officials unsure how to enforce new statewide book ban retroactively — but it may mean more work for public schools | Salt Lake Tribune (UT)
Social Media
- Teen social network launched by Austin Public Library to save banned books | KVUE
- Florida Enacts Law Banning Children Under 14 from Social Media, Requires Parental Consent for Ages 14-15 | Business Times (FL)
- Federal Judge Dismisses Elon Musk’s X Lawsuit Against Nonprofit Researchers | ACLU
- TikTok’s troubles just got worse: The FTC could sue them, too | Politico
Disinformation & Media Literacy
- How disinformation fuels violence — and makes our politics worse | Washington Post
- From Russia, Elaborate Tales of Fake Journalists | New York Times
- Antiabortion Disinformation Ads Ran Rampant on Facebook | WIRED
International
- Schools under pressure to remove books on sex education, feminism | Korea Times (South Korea)
Around the Web
- After school culture wars, Wisconsin voters will weigh in on results | Wisconsin Public Radio (WI)
- Drag story hours continue to be targets amid conservative backlash | ABC News
- Why these best-selling authors are playing a dangerous game | WA Today
- How The BookmarkED/OnShelf App, Created to Help Schools Ban Books, Fuels Them Instead | Book Riot
- A Bronx Teacher Asked. Tommy Orange Answered. | New York Times
- Tribune editorial: Book ban may have a silver lining, teachers go public in defense of school spending and Utah should do more for its remarkable women | Salt Lake Tribune
- Ohio library book ban attempts hit record: Editorial Board Roundtable | Cleveland.com
- AAUW speaker warns of rise in book censorship, ‘similar to a pandemic’ | Los Altos Town Crier
- Anti-Critical-Race-Theory Laws Are Slowing Down. Here Are 3 Things to Know | Education Week
- Simon’s Rock awarded Freedom to Read Grant for library and Bard Queer Leadership Project | HudsonValley360
- Book made with dead woman’s skin removed from Harvard Library amid probe of human remains found at school | CBS News
ALA News
- Liberatory librarianship
- ALA President Emily Drabinski to host ALA President’s Program at the ALA 2024 Annual Conference & Exhibition in San Diego
- April 2024 Online Learning with RUSA
- ALA Releases Free Library Programming Guide, Resources to Help Adult Patrons Understand the Unseen Aspects of the Internet
- Reference Interview Course from RUSA
- ALSC ALA Annual Preconference – Bilingual Storytime Academy
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: AvramCamp; An Unconference for Women and Non-binary Technology Library Workers
- Emma K. McNamara and Don Michael Jr. are the 2024 recipients of the SRRT’s Conference Travel Grants
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: Library Building Projects 101; A Crash Course on Basic Elements of Completing a Building Renovation or New Construction
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