Intellectual Freedom News 9/24/2022
Highlights
- Banned Book Week ideas for rural libraries | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- Access to a Wide Variety of Reading Materials Is Critical for Student Development & Well-being | Unite Against Book Bans
- Preserving the freedom to read: After 40 years of Banned Books Week, librarians craft new plan to fight back | USA Today
- The American Library Association discusses book censorship increases during Banned Books Week | NBC
- It’s Banned Books Week: Celebrate the freedom to read! | National Education Association
- Book censorship is anti-First Amendment, not a N.H. value | Conway Daily Sun
Censorship

- School book bans and challenges, at record highs, are rising again | Washington Post
- Bonny Eagle school board delays decision on whether to keep controversial book in high school library | Portland Press Herald
- Williamson County library backs ‘Banned Book Week’ after schools remove book | Tennessean
- Board re-evaluates Cabarrus County Schools’ library book policy | WBTV (NC)
- NC school board members say they want book ban transparency. Parents are skeptical. | Charlotte Observer (NC)
- Katy ISD reverses course, allows access to LGBTQ+ internet resources previously filtered out | KHOU (TX)
- Removal of LGBTQ+ book display from Huntsville Public Library draws crowds to council meeting speaking in favor and against the decision | Click2Houston
- Disturbing threats to NYC teen drag star lead to cancellation of ‘fun-filled’ event at NYPL | NY Daily News
- Library seeks dialogue on complaints about teen section content, protests about censorship | Republic (IN)
- Belton ISD board of trustees revise old policy to assist parents concerned about inappropriate books | KCEN (TX)
- After banning books in May, Nixa school board made other changes. Parents are crying foul. | Springfield News-Leader (MO)
- Miami-Dade school board capitulates to right-wing groups in sex ed textbook debate UPDATED | Miami New Times (FL)
- Mayor Jeff Bauknight says books in question at Victoria Public Library will not be removed | Crossroads Today (TX)
- Closed classroom library pic shocking: Who do we trust to define if books OK?–Opinion | Treasure Coast Palm (FL)
- Community divided over Kansas school district book ban push | Great Bend Post (KS)
- Keller asks library to remove post promoting banned books out of fear of controversy | Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
- City of Keller orders Keller Public Library to remove post about Banned Books Week
- Book restrictions: 3 books in Collier Schools now need parental permission for check-out | Naples Daily News
- As school book bans gain traction in the U.S., Barrington rejects bid to remove two LGBTQ books | WBEZ (IL)
- Questions remain as library board, public clash over explicit book | Valley City Times Record (ND)
- NC school board members say they want book ban transparency. Parents are skeptical. |Charlotte Observer
Privacy & Cybersecurity
- California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act to impose significant new requirements on businesses providing online services, products, or features – Updated September 2022 | JD Supra
- San Francisco passes controversial surveillance plan | SFGate
First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties
- Anti-transgender group sparks anger, protests at event at Cranston Library | Boston Globe
- Appeals court upholds Texas social media ‘censorship’ law | CNET
- The Fifth Circuit’s social media decision: A dangerous example of First Amendment absolutism | Lawfare
- A landmark Supreme Court fight over social media now looks likely | Washington Post
- Athletes may register as non-binary for 2023 Boston Marathon | NBC News
- First Amendment limits on state laws targeting election misinformation, part II | Volokh Conspiracy
Net Neutrality & Broadband
- Digital divide: Tribal communities undercounted, underserved | Government Executive
Social Media
- Florida brings battle over social media regulation to Supreme Court | Washington Post
- Is the Pentagon using Twitter for disinformation? | Barron’s
- Texas social media ‘censorship’ law goes into effect after federal court lifts block | Texas Tribune
Journalism & Media
- Across the country, student journalists are under fire just for doing their jobs | Poynter
- A recent skirmish over free speech involved high school students and their adviser | NPR
- No suspension for teacher who refused to censor student news | US News & World Report
Information Literacy & Disinformation
- Report: Online trolls are spreading offline hate against LGBTQ Americans | Florida Phoenix
Around the Web
- National conservative groups pour money into local school board races | Politico
- ‘We’ve moved backwards’: US librarians face unprecedented attacks amid rightwing book bans | Guardian
- Emily Knox: Book bannings are a lagging indicator of society’s reaction to change | Faith and Leadership
- Maine governor race is center stage in a national conservative group’s latest attack on LGBTQ books | Bangor Daily News
- Attempts to ban books are accelerating and becoming more divisive | New York Times
- Book banning, curriculum restrictions, and the politicization of U.S. schools | American Progress
- Book-banning efforts rising at unprecedented rate, US libraries report | Alaska Native News
- Royal Oak library highlights effort against banning books | Oakland Press (MI)
- Banned Books Week: How a NH school district wrestles with allowing book challenges | Seacoast Online
- Crusading for parental rights may cloak other motives | Washington Post
- The banned books you haven’t heard about | Atlantic
- How attacks on critical race theory are affecting teachers | Education Week
- Book bans create fear in schools | Language Magazine
- Book bans reflect outdated beliefs about how children read | Conversation
- Students resist banned titles with a book club | Axios
- Banned Books Week: Celebrating the freedom to read, defending the freedom to learn | People for the American Way
- ‘Censorship divides us’: Spokane Public Library holds events for Banned Books Week | KXLY
- Neo-Nazi charged with violence outside Drag Queen Story Hour event appears in court | Pink News
- Memphis museum cancels drag show as armed protesters show up | 59 News
- Rushdie and free speech, from Tehran to Pittsburgh | Belt Magazine
- Book bans are an attack on the freedom to read, teach, and learn | Seattle Medium
- Organized opposition to the right to read–Recent changes to the library landscape | Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
- CT Libraries Observe Banned Books Week | Public News Service
- On Banned Books Week, a CT library director says ‘we received numerous ugly complaints’ | Stamford Advocate
- Utah libraries standing against censorship and book-banning | KSLTV
- Utah authors sign letter decrying ‘plague of book banning’ | Salt Lake Tribune
- Fighting censorship through Books Unbanned | Hamilton Magazine
- Don’t send a librarian to do a parent’s job | Daily Montanian
- Flying Dog Brewery takes over libraries across DMV during banned books week | Yahoo! News
ALA News
Subscribe to future issues of Intellectual Freedom News, a free weekly compilation of news delivered to your inbox by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, including
- current book challenges in libraries and schools
- articles about privacy, internet filtering and censorship
- ALA activities, conferences and institutes, products, online learning opportunities, awards and grants, international exchanges, and more
- how to get involved and make the most of what ALA offers