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The Week in Libraries: September 20, 2024
Among the week's headlines, ALA releases a new booklist for young readers on the importance of voting; Penguin Random Houses's Banned Wagon embarks on its second-ever tour; and why the Florida attorney general is wading into a closely watched book banning case from Llano County, Texas.
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Penguin Random House Creates New Role to Help Battle Book Bans
Rosalie (Rosie) Stewart, most recently manager of grassroots communications for the ALA's Public Policy and Advocacy Office, will join the publisher as senior manager for public policy, reporting directly to PRH VP Skip Dye, a key move that signals the publisher's intent to expand its battle against book bans beyond the courtroom.
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The Battle Against Book Bans Rages On: PW Talks with Kelly Jensen
PW checks in with the 'Book Riot' writer, whose weekly Censorship News column tracks efforts to ban books in school and libraries.
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The Resistance: Five People Standing Up to Book Banners
For many, defending the freedom to read has come at a steep cost. We recently talked with five librarians and educators who are standing up to the would-be censors.
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Modern Day McCarthyists: The Fight Against Book Bans in Llano County
The Texas county, with a population about 3,000, has become an epicenter in the fight against book banning. Leila Green Little explains how the echoes of history are playing out in rural Texas—and in communities across the nation.
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The Week in Libraries: September 13, 2024
Among the week's headlines: PEN America reports a surge in school book bans; amicus briefs are filed in a key freedom to read case from Llano County, Texas; and Book Riot reports on the escalating attacks on academic libraries.
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Amicus Briefs Filed Ahead of Key Fifth Circuit Freedom to Read Battle
With a hearing before the full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans less than two weeks away, a host of amicus briefs were filed this week in a closely watched case over book banning in Llano County, Tex.
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The Week in Libraries: September 6, 2024
Among the week's headlines: Louisiana librarian and freedom to read advocate Amanda Jones releases her memoir; officials in Garland County, Arkansas, are looking to put a library funding cut up for a vote; and the Internet Archive loses its appeal over the scanning and lending of library books.
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Little Free Library Partners with ALA, PEN America on Banned Books Map
Little Free Library has teamed up with the American Library Association and PEN America to develop an interactive map that indicates areas in which books are banned and pinpoints locations of its book-sharing boxes.
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Judge Rules Llano Librarian’s Wrongful Termination Suit Can Proceed
A federal court found that Suzette Baker had plausibly asserted that she was fired for opposing orders to improperly pull books that overwhelmingly represented the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
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Survey Finds Most Americans Unengaged with Book Banning Efforts in Public Schools
Conducted by the Knight Foundation, the public opinion survey is the most in-depth yet on efforts to ban books in schools, researchers say.
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DPLA, IPG Team Up to Offer Libraries an E-Book Ownership Option
A partnership between the Digital Public Library of America and the Independent Publishers Group is offering an e-book ownership option from a wide range of indie publishers.
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The Week in Libraries: August 9, 2024
Among the week's headlines: the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in on Iowa's SF 496 with a mixed decision; Utah bans 13 books from all public schools in the state, six of which are by Sarah J. Maas; and Kelly Jensen of 'Book Riot' offers a how-to guide to fighting book bans.
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Jarrett J. Krosoczka Pahks the Cah at New England Libraries
Author-illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka embarked on a public library book tour from June 21–August 2, billing his New England stops as “JJK’s Summah Readin’ Roadtrip.”
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The Week in Libraries: August 2, 2024
Among the week's headlines: a new EveryLibrary report explores the threat to libraries posed by the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025; Maggie Tokuda-Hall weighs in on book bans for 'Book Riot'; and a mother and TikToker in Idaho details her experience with the state's new harmful to minors law.
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Sam Helmick Named ALA President for 2025-2026
Helmick, who is community and access services coordinator at Iowa City Public Library, steps in after Ray Pun, who won the election for ALA president in March, announced last month that he was stepping down for health reasons.
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The Week in Libraries: July 26, 2024
Among the week's headlines: Kamala Harris addresses book banning at a campaign event; a community in Michigan seeks to remove its library board over their refusal to ban books; and NBC News has a chilling look at an officer's bid to charge three Texas school librarians for sharing inappropriate books.
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The Week in Libraries: July 19, 2024
Among the week's headlines: ALA welcomes the FCC's decision to allow E-rate funding to be used to purchase and lend Wi-Fi hotspots; parents in Lansing, Mich., are unhappy with plans for two new library-less elementary schools; and Kelly Jensen at 'Book Riot' questions an unusually quiet Pride Month for libraries.
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The Week in Libraries: July 12, 2024
Among the week's headlines: The Fifth Circuit will rehear its June decision in a closely-watched book banning case; Fresh off a high energy annual conference, ALA now faces some critical decisions; and why the New Mexico state library is offering New Mexicans access to the 'New York Times.'
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Check It Out: How ThriftBooks Helps Libraries Turn Excess Books Into Revenue
As the world’s largest independent seller of new and used books, ThriftBooks is known to customers as the place to purchase affordable books and locate hard-to-find titles. But the online retailer also plays another important role: helping libraries raise significant funds from unneeded books. (Sponsored)