Category: Banned and Challenged Books
IRFT Member Spotlight – Nadia Orozco-Sahi
This month the Intellectual Freedom Round Table is highlighting the work and concerns of IFRT Member Nadia Orozco-Sahi.
Do People Who Fill Out “Request for Reconsideration” Forms Have a Right to Privacy?
Public records requests are a way for journalists and other interested parties to find out information about request for reconsideration forms that have been submitted to libraries and gain insight into book challenges that are happening at libraries near them. A legal debate in Colorado has raised the question of whether individuals submitting request for reconsideration forms are protected by library privacy laws or if their names and other identifying information is public record along with the rest of the request.
The Scapegoats of Status Quo
The growing conservative trend aiming to prosecute and punish educators and librarians for having materials that include ideas about racism, sex, and sexuality is in direct oppostition to the cause of “liberty” – a term often used by these same groups to justify their actions.
The Iranian Protests Are a Reminder of the Need for Praise of Salman Rushdie
We in libraries can do nothing to ameliorate Mr. Rushdie’s physical pain. We can and should, however, proudly display and recommend his works. To support Mr. Rushdie and to celebrate his works is not to attack a religion. It is only to excoriate, as we should, the mindless and soulless adherence to the wrong-headed, hateful, and evil interpretation of a religion promulgated by mere–and mistaken–men.
Rhode Island School Librarian Speaks Out at School Committee Meeting
Lisa Gerard defended students’ freedom to read at a school committee meeting this past June. Gender, police, and racism were at the core of the book challenges.
Happy Birthday, Patricia Polacco!
Despite Polacco’s talent to weave and illustrate a story, her books are not always well received. During a school visit, students read Polacco essays entitled “My Family”. One little girl was told her family, which included two mothers and adopted siblings, was not a “real family”. Outraged, Polacco went home that day and wrote In Our Mothers’ House, a story that shares the love and acceptance of a family of two mothers and adopted children of various ethnicities.
Short-term victory? Following up on bills to criminally charge librarians
Most state legislative sessions are wrapping up this time of year, so it’s time to revisit bills introduced in Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, and Idaho that would allow librarians to be criminally charged over materials in the library collection and check their status.
“Hide the Pride” Campaign Targets Library Pride Month Displays
In the midst of the recognition of Pride Month, a campaign called “Hide the Pride” is threatening to hide LGBTQIA+ library materials from others in the community that may want to access them. Started by an organization called CatholicVote, the initiative invites people to check out all the books from their library’s Pride Month display, under the guise of protecting children from being exposed to ideas of sexuality and gender identity and expression.
Texas Residents Sue County Over Banned Books
A lawsuit filed by residents of Llano County, Texas, says the plaintiffs are “fiercely united … in their belief that the government cannot dictate which books they can and cannot read.” The lawsuit described a heated debate that began last fall with people referring to a state lawmaker’s list of titles to target county officials with removal requests.
Digital Collections are Not Immune to Book Challenges
Providers of e-content such as Overdrive and Epic are no longer immune to book challenges – and in some counties, access is being cut off entirely.