Intellectual Freedom News 8/06/2021
Highlights
- 2020 Banned & Challenged Books List | Intellectual Freedom Blog; OIF tracked 156 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2020. This is a complete list of book titles that were banned, challenged, or restricted during the year.
Censorship
- Campbell County library board receives both support and calls for resignation | Wyoming News
- Commack schools educator plans lawsuit, says he was reassigned for ‘outspokenness’ over book | Newsday
- Book controversy invades Hamilton Southeastern School Board meeting | WISH TV
- ‘Critical race theory’ controversy hits quiet library life in Attleboro [Massachusetts] | Sun Chronicle
- Libraries would be ‘warehouse of books’ without displays | Citrus County Chronicle
- Editorial: Ignorance and censorship must be challenged | Citrus County Chronicle
- New Wave of “Concerned Citizens” Discover and Challenge Classic It’s Perfectly Normal | Book Riot
- 21 commonly banned books in 2021, and the reasons why | Business Insider
- Texas Republicans to Ban Public Schools Teaching History of White Supremacy: “Legislators Need Their Own History Lesson” | Ms. Magazine
- A $5 Million Fine for Classroom Discussions on Race? In Tennessee, This Is the New Reality | Education Week
- Drag Queen Storytime Continues to Stir Up Controversy as Well as Excitement Among Library Patrons | Intellectual Freedom Blog
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- Colorado Becomes Third State to Enact Comprehensive Privacy Legislation | Lexology
- Dark patterns — a new frontier in privacy regulation | Reuters
- New bill could be a ‘game changer’ for kids’ privacy | Politico
- Why all data governance needs to consider children’s rights | Berkman Klein Center
- What One City Hopes to Learn by Pausing Use of Facial Recognition Technology | Route Fifty
- The Ethics of Data: Anonymity Vs Analytics | NISO
More privacy news is available at the Voices for Privacy blog.
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- The Texas Legislature’s Culture War | ACLU
- Activists lament the new First Amendment Demonstrations ordinance [Charleston, South Carolina] | WCSC
- 11th Circuit strikes down Florida megachurch challenge to hate group label | Courthouse News Service
- Charter school awaits ruling in suit over ‘Critical Race Theory’ lesson [paywalled] | Las Vegas Review-Journal
- Biden administration renews Title 42 order, as ACLU fights back | Politico
- Minnesota School District Ban on ‘All Lives Matter’ Signs Violates First Amendment: Lawsuit | Newsweek
- First Amendment rights: Federal judges in two states last week issued groundbreaking First Amendment rulings — on free expression through bologna sandwiches and zoos. | Courthouse News Service
- Parents Challenging “Anti-Racism” Curriculum Can Litigate Pseudonymously to Shield Their Children | Reason
- No Qualified Immunity for University of Iowa Officials Who Violated Christian Students’ First Amendment Rights | Reason
- Attacks on Critical Race Theory Threaten Democracy | Inside Higher Ed
- Long Island county legislature votes to allow first responders to sue protesters and sets civil fines of up to $50,000 | CNN
- “The Second Amendment Is Not Intended for Black People” | Slate
Copyright
- Copyright violations could crash the NFT party | Fortune
- Supreme Court says copyright tariffs not mandatory on works managed by collective society | JDSupra
Academic Freedom & Campus Speech
- Law school association: Banning critical race theory is censorship | Reuters
- AAUP Condemns Political Attempts to Restrict Critical Race Theory | Diverse Education
Social Media
- After YouTuber auditor came to Danbury, nearby towns evaluate video policies in public buildings | News Times
- Apple removes anti-vaxx dating app Unjected from the App Store for ‘inappropriately’ referring to the pandemic. The app’s owners say it’s censorship. | Business Insider
- Facebook’s Broken Vows | The New Yorker
- Facebook Cuts Off Access for NYU Research Into Political-Ad Targeting | Wall Street Journal
- Yes, Actually, The 1st Amendment Does Mean That Twitter Can Kick You Off Its Platform, Wall Street Journal | TechDirt
Information Literacy & Disinformation
- How Local Media Spreads Misinformation From Vaccine Skeptics | The New York Times
- Disinformation for hire: PR firms are the new battleground for Facebook | ZDNet
- Tracking Viral Misinformation | The New York Times
- How biases fuel misinformation and disinformation | Premium Times
- Opinion: Despite all the disinformation, Americans are finally waking up to the covid-19 crisis | The Washington Post
- Twitter works with news sites to tackle disinformation | BBC
International News
- Iranians Fear Turning Into Another ‘North Korea’ If Draconian Internet Censorship Bill Passes | Radio Free Europe
Around the Web
- Manitowoc library board appointee stirs county board debate | Herald Times Reporter
- Our Views: Here’s to the champions of free speech | Sun Chronicle
- I Love My Librarian! Award | Intellectual Freedom Blog
ALA News
- ALA partners with Communities for Immunity to boost vaccine confidence
- ALA partners with NonProfit Vote for National Voter Registration Day
- Still accepting applications for Emerging Leaders program
- Aimee Strittmatter departing as ALSC executive director; Alena Rivers steps in as interim
- Preconference Registration Opens for Core Forum
Awards and Grants
eLearning
- ‘United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations’ to be held Aug. 17-19
- ALA eLearning—webinars, courses, workshops, e-forums and more—covers library-related fundamentals, advances, trends, and hot topics for all types of libraries. Find the online options that can best keep you and your colleagues and staff current.
Publishing
- Channing Tatum, New Kid, and more debut in fall ALA Graphics catalog
- Understanding the basic principles of planning and assessment
- New from ACRL – “Teaching about Fake News: Lesson Plans for Different Disciplines and Audiences”
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- current book challenges in libraries and schools
- articles about privacy, internet filtering and censorship
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- how to get involved and make the most of what ALA offers