Intellectual Freedom News 5/13/2022
Highlights
Censorship
- Woman demands city council ban award-winning LGBTQ book from public library – They refused | NCRM
- Kansas City high school board bans LGBTQ support stickers and cards, prompting backlash | USA Today
- Book ban in Rapid City schools could set disturbing precedent | SDPB
- Utah AG gives guidance to schools on library books | KJZZ
- GOP senators urge TV ratings board to warn viewers of ‘disturbing’ LGBTQ content | NBC News
- New school principals announced; school library books called into question | Winchester Star (VA)
- Indian River County School District officials cleared of charges after book lawsuit | WPBF
- Conservative parents take aim at library apps meant to expand access to books | NBC News
- Column: Cops, not books? This town’s library may become a police station | Los Angeles Times
- I-TEAM: Newly released documents reveal which items were flagged as critical race theory in textbooks | News 4 Jax
- Henrico parent withdraws request for review of youth novel | Henrico Citizen (VA)
- Brevard school board to vote on library books, student restraints and public speaking | Florida Today
- Superintendent removing books for sexual content, but opponents say it is educational | KTVT/WKRC (TX)
- Madison County school board discusses ban of critical race theory, gender and sexuality discussions | NBC 29 (VA)
- Uhlfelder protests Walton schools’ book ban, calling it ‘government overreach and suppression’ | Northwest Florida Daily News
- Woman wants Kansas library to get rid of children’s book about boy who dresses in mom’s clothes | Kansas Reflector
- ‘Gender Queer’ to stay on school library shelf, Hudson board of education decides | Akron Beacon Journal (OH)
- NACS board approves three math textbooks, rejects one due to “inappropriate content” | WBOI (IN)
- Newton school board considers creating panel to screen books for objectionable content | Wichita Eagle (KS)
- Newton superintendent wants stricter book review process | The Wichita Eagle
- Nampa school board pulls 24 books from district shelves, book bans sparking national debate | Idaho News 6
- Book ban? Two Milford parents request withdrawal of 10th-grade novel due to sexual content | Fox 19 (OH)
- Ohio Parents Demand Milford Schools Ban Historical Novel, In the Time of the Butterflies | The Daily Beast
- Polk Schools leaders to discuss future of 16 books pulled from campus libraries | WFTS (FL)
- After media firestorm, library book controversy at Granbury ISD smolders as citizens continue complex task of review | Texan
- Constables investigate book complaint at Granbury High School | CBS DFW (TX)
- North East ISD will replace some books featuring LGBTQ+ characters with straight ones. Here’s how | KERA News (TX)
- Virginia Beach school board to remove ‘Gender Queer’ novel off bookshelves | WAVY (VA)
- Banning books: Are certain books being removed from Arkansas classrooms and libraries? | THV11
- Penncrest vote on library books delayed due to board member’s racial concerns | Meadville Tribune
- Mississippi school board upholds firing over ‘New Butt’ book | ABC News
- Top Navy Admiral Quietly Removes ‘Woke’ Books From CNO Reading List | gCaptain
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- ICE uses data brokers to bypass surveillance restrictions, report finds | Verge
- Connecticut legislature passes comprehensive privacy legislation, awaiting governor’s signature | JD Supra
- Clearview AI settles suit and agrees to limit sales of facial recognition database. | New York Times
- Thomson Reuters to Review Human Rights Impact of its Data Collection for ICE | Electronic Frontier Foundation
More privacy news is available at the Voices for Privacy blog.
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- City settles free-speech lawsuit, changes social media policy | 4WWL (LA)
- Jewish communities react to the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, which could violate their First Amendment rights | Business Insider
- Protests outside homes of Supreme Court Justices bring scope of civil liberties into focus | WTOP
- Gov. Abbott says Texas may contest a Supreme Court ruling on migrant education | NPR
- Palo Alto will not advance hate-speech law | Palo Alto Online
- How a 40-year-old Supreme Court ruling may quash the book banning wave | Freedom Forum
- History shows that the First Amendment should protect abortion | Washington Post
Academic Freedom & Campus Speech
- Florida campus surveys under scrutiny in lawsuit. ‘A political tool.’ | Tampa Bay Times
- Florida’s ‘intellectual freedom’ survey divides college campuses | Tampa Bay Times
- Oklahoma creates a committee to oversee college free speech | Inside Higher Ed
- Saving Academic Freedom From Free Speech | Chronicle of Higher Education
Legislation
Net Neutrality & Broadband Access
- Biden admin announces expansion of free high-speed internet to eligible US households | The Hill
- Biden administration signals short-term win, uncertain future on broadband policy | Public Knowledge
Journalism & Media
- Texas high school censors “well written and legally clean” editorial about drug searching | SPLC
- Florida school yearbook on hold over student protest photos | ABC News
- Hawaii student journalists are poised to gain press freedom guarantees | Honolulu Civil Beat
Social Media
- Judge dismisses Trump’s lawsuit against Twitter | CBS News
- Texas argues Facebook and Twitter are a ‘modern-day public square’ in defense of censorship law | Houston Public Media
- Missouri A.G. sues Biden administration officials for alleged social media censorship | KHQA
- Texas law prohibiting social media companies from banning users over their viewpoints reinstated by appeals court | Texas Tribune
Information Literacy & Disinformation
- Opinion: Disinformation hurts voters | Washington Post
- Republican lawmakers push bill to dismantle new DHS disinformation board | NBC News
Copyright
- Disney copyright targeted in bill proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley | Hollywood Reporter
International News
- Censorship of Hollywood blockbuster films intensifies in China | VOA
- Shanghai residents turn to NFTs to record COVID lockdown, combat censorship | The Hindu
- Chinese web users get creative to dodge Covid censorship | Deccan Herald
- WHO chief censored on China’s internet after calling zero-Covid unsustainable | CNN
Around the Web
- Web3’s Library of Alexandria: News and civic documents to be backed up on decentralized web | Axios
- Dave Eggers offers to replace books a South Dakota school board wants to pulp | Guardian
- From Mesquite to Marble Falls: Reporter recounts Llano County Library advisory board controversy | Mesquite
- In the last year, the Republican Party has transformed | Letters from an American
- The story behind banned books in Arkansas schools | thv11.com
- Letter to the editor: Don’t let Maine Republicans ban books | Press Herald
- Library culture wars trickling down to local Idaho politics | Idaho Press
- Audelia Road Library draws highest counts in early voting | Lake Highlands Advocate (TX)
- How anti-critical race theory bills are taking aim at teachers | FiveThirtyEight
- Texas conservatives taking aim at CRT see big wins in school board elections | KOMO
- North East ISD incumbents had difficult night — two ousted, one hanging on | San Antonio Express-News
- Candidates backed by conservative PAC sweep Tarrant County school board elections | Texas Tribune
- When their high school started banning books, these students fought back and won | USA Today
- Banned book section opening soon at El Paso public libraries | KFOX14
- DeSantis mandates lessons on communism for high school students | Washington Post
- City of El Paso Public Library unveils banned book sections | KTSM
- Upset by book bans, teens start forbidden book club in small Pa. town | Washington Post
- No action taken after library board discusses lawsuit | Enid News (OK)
- Librarians discuss current Texas push to ban books | Mesquite News
- Maine will consult Urban Dictionary in fight to rid roads of ‘obscene’ vanity plates | Bangor Daily News
- Students protest ousting of teacher disciplined for showing support to bullied teen | Salon
- CRT law undermines Texas charter school for Black and Latino students | 74
- Stevie Wonder speaks out against ongoing ‘assault’ on civil liberties: ‘America is a at a time of crisis’ | Jackson Progress
- Canyon ISD board votes to renew contract of Superintendent Dr. Darryl Flusche | Amarillo Globe-News (TX)
- Most Tennesseans oppose book banning, despite recent laws, new poll finds | Tennessean
ALA News
- FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to open 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition
- Together with AT&T, PLA launches new DigitalLearn courses; announces new incentive program for library digital literacy workshops
- ALA President Patricia “Patty” Wong to moderate Asian American Panel at ALA President’s Program in Washington, D.C., June 23-28, 2022
eLearning
- Who Manages, Who Leads
- When to Go Hybrid: Determining Which Format Best Fits Your Program
- More eLearning opportunites
Publishing
- Save 50% on more than 400 products during the ALA Store Spring Sale
- Michael Cart’s updated YA lit survey
- New from ACRL – “Interim Leadership in Libraries”
Awards & Grants
- LRRT announces the winners of the 2022 Jesse H. Shera Awards
- 2022 AASL Research Grants Awarded
- AASL Selects Administrators for 2022-2024 School Leader Collaborative
- Alex H. Poole receives the 2022 LHRT Donald G. Davis Article Award
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