Intellectual Freedom News 8/14/2026
Highlights
- Governor Healey Signs Freedom to Read Law Keeping Book Bans out of Massachusetts Schools and Libraries | Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MA)
- ALA UN Delegation elevates libraries at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum 2026 | ALA
- Book bans: How can we prepare for the next 5 years? | Index on Censorship
Censorship
- These books are still banned from Knox County School library shelves | 10News (TN)
- Arkansas librarians grapple with enforcing book restriction law after court ruling | Yahoo! News (AR)
- Gay Teen Drag Queen Novel Sparks Fort Worth ISD Review Of Girls Soccer Coach Pick | Dallas Express (TX)
- PCB Council shelves proposal to move library books after major community backlash | WJHG (FL)
- Peoria parents question book removals under anti-DEI policy | Arizona Republic (AZ)
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- New tech adds phone tracking to license plate readers, associating devices with identifiable cars | Conversation
- Why are we just watching America become a surveillance state? | Opinion | USA Today
- Secret Service reveals new surveillance system amid slowdown in privacy impact assessments | FedScoop
- “AI-Powered” Surveillance Networks are Worse Than You Know | Current Affairs
- This map shows how many Flock cameras are in your neighborhood | Mashable
- Ordinary WiFi can now identify you with near-perfect accuracy | Science Daily
First Amendment & Civil Rights
- Prosecutor fired over blogposts critical of Trump sues US justice department | Guardian
- What’s Happening in Kansas Should Alarm Us All | New York Times (KS)
Academic Freedom & Student Speech
- A new playbook for controlling universities | Hill
- PEN America Joins Alliance for Higher Education in Defending Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy | PEN America
- U of M pays $250,000 settlement to Holocaust scholar whose job offer was withdrawn | MPR News (MN)
- The Groups Pushing Back on McMahon’s ‘Call to Action’ | Inside Higher Ed
- How 2 Texas Lawsuits Could Tee Up a National Fight Over Academic Freedom | Inside Higher Ed
- Presidents’ Alliance and 91 Higher Education Institutions and Associations File Amicus Brief in Support of Free Speech Rights of Noncitizen Students and Faculty | Presidents’ Alliance
Legislation
- Mass. puts “freedom to read” law on the books | Axios (MA)
- The fight against book bans in Massachusetts gains strength with new law | Sun Chronicle (MA)
- The Supreme Court has a message for Kentucky on surveillance: Get a warrant | Kentucky Lantern (KY)
- NC law changes rules for challenging books in public schools | WFAE (NC)
State & Local Governance
- Santa Rosa County Schools make book review changes | Santa Rosa’s Press Gazette (FL)
- Christian nationalist influence on Tarrant County government the focus of upcoming panel discussion | Fort Worth Report (TX)
- Democrats parlay controversies into control of KCS board | Exclusive | Knox News (TN)
- Borough Assembly talks library takeover | Ketchikan Daily News (AK)
- Parents, Community Members, and Educators Speak Out Against the ADL’s Role in BVSD Schools | Yellow Scene (CO)
- West Florida Public Libraries director resigns after five months in permanent post | WUWF (FL)
Social Media & A.I.
- Trump sued on First and Fifth Amendment grounds over paid Truth Social access | CNN
- I Tested a Popular A.I. Slop Detector. It Felt Empowering. | New York Times
International
- Pellet Guns, Sticks and Tear Gas: How India’s Police Halted a Youth March | New York Times (India)
- JNU Cancels Book Discussion On Umar Khalid, JNUSU Calls Move ‘Undemocratic’; ABVP Backs It | Times Now (India)
- St. Albert Public Library Board has estimated cost of UCP book ban at $100,000 in 2027 | Alberta Politics (Canada)
Around the Web
- Banning Books is Dangerous, No Matter How Cute It Is | Chicago Review of Books
ALA News
- 2026 Leab Awards Recipients Announced
- Core Webinar: Best of Core Forum: How to Have an Inclusive Collection Even When Your Institution Isn’t
- Core Webinar: International Librarianship Panel
- Association for Library Service to Children Supports 2026 Bound to Stay Bound, Melcher Scholarships
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