Intellectual Freedom News 4/18/2025
Highlights
- ALA Announces Banned Books Week Theme | ALA
- The Truth Behind the Censorship Numbers in the State of America’s Libraries Report | School Library Journal
Censorship
- Military academies criticized for removing DEI-related books from libraries | ABC News
- U.S. Army libraries target books with a focus on DEI or ‘gender ideology’ for removal | NPR
- Students Sue Department of Defense Schools Over Curriculum Changes, Book Bans | ACLU
- Washington’s libraries face ‘deep and dramatic’ funding cuts as Trump abruptly terminates federal grants | KUOW (WA)
- Sparks fly over RUSD’s proposed policies | Redlands Community News (CA)
- Florida School District Bans Anime in Libraries – Calls It ‘Mental Poison for Youth’ | OtakuKart (FL)
- Mississippi orders deletion of race and gender databases in state libraries | Guardian (MS)
- Book ban lawsuit against West Michigan school district dismissed by appeals court | MLive (MI)
- Commissioners approve plan to withdraw Yancey County library from regional system | WLOS (NC)
- Library Internet Access Is ‘World-Changing’ for Millions but the Money Could Disappear | CNET
- ACLU of Tennessee Files Lawsuit on Behalf of PEN America and Families to Halt Book Bans in Rutherford County, TN Schools | PEN America (TN)
- SCPS New Media Selection Policy Sparks Censorship Concerns | WBOC (MD)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- This Company’s Surveillance Tech Makes Immigrants ‘Easy Pickings’ for Trump | New York Times
- Surveillance is in, perks out. Bosses have dropped their masks, but gen Z is fighting back | Guardian
- DOGE is collecting federal data to remove immigrants from housing, jobs | Washington Post
- ‘After all our hard work’: Federal fallout leads to suspension of interlibrary loan courier service | South Dakota Searchlight (SD)
- Privacy on the Map: How States Are Fighting Location Surveillance | EFF
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- Education Department Is Threatening to Cut All Federal Funding for Maine Schools | New York Times (ME)
- Kyrene School District at risk of losing federal funding, state superintendent says | ABC15 (AZ)
- Attorneys General Sue Over Access to $1 Billion in Federal School Aid | New York Times
- How the Trump administration is impacting the First Amendment rights of scientists | NPR
- Supreme Court Sides With Wrongly Deported Migrant | New York Times
- In New Filings, Rümeysa Öztürk’s Legal Team Argue for Her Release from ICE Detention | ACLU
- ‘Alien Enemies’ or Innocent Men? Inside Trump’s Rushed Effort to Deport 238 Migrants | New York Times
- Social Security Lists Thousands of Migrants as Dead to Prompt Them to ‘Self-Deport’ | New York Times
- US human rights advocates sue to block Trump’s sanctions on ICC prosecutor | Reuters
- The Supreme Court Ruled. Trump and the A.C.L.U. Both Claimed Victory. Huh? | New York Times
- The State of Free Speech in America | NPR
- Author Responds to Misrepresentation of Book in U.S. Supreme Court Case | Mombian
- A Legal Battle Over Trump’s Threats to Public School Funding Has Begun | New York Times
- The Supreme Court threatens to bring “Don’t Say Gay” to every classroom in America | Vox
- US Citizens Don’t Have First Amendment Rights If Noncitizens Don’t | CATO Institute
- Republicans are trying to force an entire state to out its trans students to their parents | LGBTQ Nation
- Trump and Bukele Bond Over Human Rights Abuses in Oval Office Meeting | Rolling Stone
- Judge: ‘Probable cause’ to hold U.S. in contempt over Alien Enemies Act deportations | NPR
- U.S. Supreme Court LGBTQ+ Book Case Is About More Than Just Books | Bay Windows
Academic Freedom & Student Speech
- With free speech on college campuses in peril, Northeastern faculty senate’s academic freedom committee takes shape | Huntington News (MA)
- Caution and Courage on Campus Speech | New York Times
- Harvard University faculty sue to block Trump review of nearly $9bn in funding | Guardian
- Inside Trump’s Pressure Campaign on Universities | New York Times
- Columbia Activist Arrested by ICE at His Appointment for Citizenship | New York Times
- First Amendment RigFrehts of Colleges and Universities | Free Speech Center
- A look at the universities with federal funding targeted by the Trump administration | WFMJ
Legislation
- Congress Takes Another Step Toward Enabling Broad Internet Censorship | EFF
- Sen. Jim Banks co-authors legislation to eliminate the Department of Education | WPTA
- Mississippi Poised to Enact Sweeping Educational Gag Order | (MS)
- Murfreesboro school board opposes TN bills on undocumented students: ‘Educate all the children’ | Daily News Journal (TN)
- Parents Testify on School Libraries ‘Anti-Obscenity’ Bill | NewsBreak (NH)
- Florida’s Bill for All Textbooks to Rename “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” is an Assault on Freedom of Expression | PEN America (FL)
- As towns grapple with book challenges, CT lawmakers seek to establish book ban standards | NHPR (CT)
- Wait, What Just Happened in Idaho? A Wake-Up Call for Higher Ed | PEN America (ID)
- Bill to establish Center for Intellectual Freedom at UI heads to Reynolds’ desk | Iowa Public Radio (IA)
- North Dakota Lawmakers Pass Bill Restricting Library Books Deemed Obscene | New York Times (ND)
- NC House passes bill that would remove challenged books from school libraries | WRAL (NC)
- New Del. bill addresses attempts to ban books at libraries | WDEL (DE)
- Texas Is Poised to Create a $1 Billion Private School Voucher Program | New York Times (TX)
- Legislation to protect libraries, librarians from potential book bans is back before committee | Berkshire Eagle (MA)
State & Local Governance
- Fullerton bans newspapers, all non-government materials at city facilities except libraries | Orange County Register (CA)
- Alabama weighs Trump request to end ‘illegal’ DEI practices in K-12 schools | AL.com (AL)
- NH schools challenge Trump DEI ban: ‘It’s not left versus right. It’s right versus wrong.’ | NHPR (NH)
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- Reason Foundation Comments to the FCC In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete | Benton Institute
Social Media & AI
- Florida’s social media bill for minors asks these platforms to do the impossible | Phone Arena (FL)
- How AI can enable public surveillance | Brookings
Journalism & Media
- First Amendment Prevails in Trump vs. the AP | Wall Street Journal
- White House press access shakeup sparks First Amendment fears | Daily Cougar
Disinformation & Media Literacy
- Disinformation damages democracy, but perhaps not in the way you think | Phys
- Trump administration shutters US office countering foreign disinformation | Guardian
International
- Marine Le Pen’s ‘Witch Hunt’ Talk Echoes Trump. Will It Work in France? | New York Times (France)
- Withdraw ‘repressive bill to regulate bloggers or face legal action’, SERAP tells Akpabio, Abbas | SERAP (Nigeria)
- How China’s model of internet censorship is getting traction in Asia: Interview with ARTICLE 19 researchers | Global Voices
- P.E.I. university backs down after artist accuses administration of censorship | Richmond News (Canada)
- Librarians in UK increasingly asked to remove books, as influence of US pressure groups spreads | Guardian (United Kingdom)
- UK libraries facing growing calls to remove LGBT+ books | Independent (United Kingdom)
- U.K. Top Court Says Trans Women Are Not Legally Women Under Equality Act | New York Times (United Kingdom)
Around the Web
- The Emergency Is Here | New York Times
- Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Katherine Clark attend ‘Give Us Liberty’ rally at Massachusetts high school | WCVB
- Books about sexuality and gender remain the most banned in USA | Out in Perth
- Queer Books Top Annual List of Most Censored | Mamba Online
- It’s Time to Protect America From America’s President | New York Times
- Judge rules that former library director’s lawsuit against Gillette family can move forward | Gillette News Record
- Drag storytime draws protesters, anti-LGBTQ preacher to Claremore bookstore | Claremore Progress
- Virginia Boucher Obituary | Daily Camera
- In defense of intellectual freedom, from a retiring Wisconsin librarian | Wisconsin Public Radio
- Queens Public Library unveils winning banned books library card by Flushing student | QNS
- Students Fighting Book Bans Are the Focus of the New Documentary Banned Together | Teen Vogue
- Banned Books and Censorship: Who Gets to Decide What We Read? | Teen Magazine
- LA’s LGBTQ+ arts nonprofits, artists face ‘chilling effect’ under anti-DEI executive orders | Los Angeles Public Press
- Librarians aren’t bouncers. Texas teens shouldn’t be carded to read serious books | Opinion | Austin American-Statesman
- Reclaiming the Narrative About Critical Race Theory | Inside Higher Ed
ALA News
- Best of Core Forum: Transforming Libraries with AI: Enhancing Access, Efficiency, and Community Engagement
- Best of Core Forum: Calling it Quits: How to Evaluate Library Services and Decide What to Stop Doing
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: Wilmington Area Public Libraries Tour
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: Professional Development Plans & Journals for Career Success: The Power of Two
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: Philadelphia Area Public Library Tour
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: Library Design and Construction Project Management: The Tools you need to Build your Best Library Space
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: Assembling Your Consultant Tool Kit: What You Need to Know to Become a Successful Consultant
- Core ALA Annual Preconference: A Tour of Philadelphia Academic Libraries: Classic Spaces & Renovation Projects
- Botkin, Rogers receive 2025 Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award
- Adam L. Schiff Awarded 2025 Margaret Mann Citation
- Best of Core Forum: Neurodiversity in the Academic Library
- Best of Core Forum: The Greatest Obstacle of Discovery: Assessment of Library Discovery Systems
- New from ACRL – “Instructional Design for Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Student-Centered Approach”
- New edition of best-selling library technology companion
- “Cranford Dixie Giants” receives AASL Roald Dahl’s Miss Honey Social Justice Award
- Three Libraries Awarded ALA’s 2025 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant for Programs for Isolated Older Adults
- New from ACRL – “From Interrogation to Integration: Centering Social Justice in Special Collections, Archives, and Preservation”
- Mountain Top Library (N.Y.) and Pottsboro (Texas) Library Awarded ALA’s Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant
- Ariana Hussain Elected 2025-2026 ALSC Vice-President/President-Elect
- Inspire the Next Generation for Preservation Week 2025, April 27 – May 3
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