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The Week in Libraries: May 5, 2023
Voters in Michigan overwhelmingly support their local libraries and oppose book bans; Illinois passes a groundbreaking bill to support the freedom to read; ALA announces its Banned Books Week 2023 theme, and more.
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Teachers Union Protests Outside Literacy Partners Gala in New York City
The Movement of Rank and File Educators turned up to the event on May 1 to protest cuts to public resources spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams, who was being honored with Literacy Partners' Champion of Literacy Award.
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The Week in Libraries: April 28, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a challenging year for libraries recapped in the ALA's 2023 State of America's Libraries report; amid criticism, the College Board will change its AP African American studies course again; the Seattle Public Library will join Brooklyn Public Library in making banned e-books available nationwide; and Cindy Hohl is elected ALA president.
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Right to Read Act Revived In Effort to Support Librarians and School Libraries
Among its provisions, the bill would ensure all U.S. students have access to a school library staffed by a certified school librarian and would extend liability protections to teachers and school librarians.
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ALA Releases Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022
With book bans and legislative challenges to the freedom to read surging to record levels, even the top 10 most banned books list is bigger. In 2022, multiple books received the same number of challenges, resulting in the expansion of the list to 13 titles.
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The Week in Libraries: April 21, 2023
Among the week's headlines: National Library Week 2023 is upon us; PEN America report says politics is 'supercharging' book bans; the Texas House passes its school library bill; and Dolly Parton will be awarded the ALA's highest honor.
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National Library Week to Include 'Right to Read Day'
“ALA calls on readers everywhere to show our commitment to the First Amendment by doing something concrete to preserve it,” said ALA president Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada.
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OverDrive Max Titles Now Top 400,000
OverDrive Max, which enables libraries to buy bundles of up to 100 loans for specific titles for concurrent use based on library users’ demands and with no expiration dates, has more than 400,000 titles available in the program.
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Texas Library to Stay Open—For Now
After garnering national headlines, a group of Llano County commissioners on Thursday voted to table the idea of closing its public libraries. But as a federal lawsuit over the library's illegal removal of books it deemed offensive continues, library supporters say the library's future remains uncertain.
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The Week in Libraries: April 14, 2023
Among the week's headlines: concerns that 'defund the library' may become the new front in the book banning wars; the Texas Senate passes its school library bill; librarians in Illinois weigh in on the state's proposal to defend the freedom to read; and ALA launches a new initiative to combat book bans.
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Texas County to Consider Shutting Down Library After Book Ban Ruling
After a federal judge ordered the return of more than a dozen books improperly removed from the Llano County Public Library shelves, the county's commissioners are set to discuss shutting the library down altogether.
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TLA 2023 Preview: Texas Librarians Unite!
The 2023 Texas Library Association Annual Conference, set for April 19-22 in Austin, comes at a crucial moment for the state’s librarians.
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The Week in Libraries: April 7, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Big wins for the freedom to read in Idaho, and Texas; legendary author Judy Blume delivers a passionate defense of libraries; the new pain points for academic librarians in the wake of the pandemic; and why the key to defeating book bans is showing up.
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Judge Finds Texas Library's Book Bans Unconstitutional, Orders Books Returned
In a victory for freedom to read advocates, federal judge Robert Pitman found that Llano County's "targeting and removal" of a host of allegedly "inappropriate" books from library shelves constituted viewpoint and content discrimination.
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The Week in Libraries: March 31, 2023
Among the week's headlines: bomb threats over Juno Dawson's 'This Book Is Gay' highlight the increasing threat level librarians and teachers are facing; Missouri lawmakers vote to defund the state's public libraries; and PEN America's Nadine Farid Johnson tells Congress that the country is facing the 'broadest attack on First Amendment rights' in generations.
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Little Free Library Aims to Eliminate Book Deserts
The nonprofit hopes to partner with local community organizations across the U.S. to install and maintain book-sharing boxes.
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In a Swift Decision, Judge Eviscerates Internet Archive’s Scanning and Lending Program
After nearly three years of litigation, federal judge John G. Koeltl ruled that the Internet Archive infringed the copyrights of four plaintiff publishers by scanning print editions of their books and lending them online. The ruling comes just days after a March 20 hearing.
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Is Controlled Digital Lending on Borrowed Time?
At a long-awaited hearing last week, a federal judge sounded skeptical of the Internet Archive’s program to scan and lend library books.
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The Week in Libraries: March 24, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Congress passes a 'parental rights' bill; Illinois advances its bill to prohibit book banning; Missouri lawmakers seek to pull funding from public libraries in the state; and Julie Stivers has been named School Library Journal's 2023 School Librarian of the Year.
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ALA Reports Shocking Increase in Attempted Book Bans in 2022
With book banning and legislative attacks on the freedom to read continuing to surge across the country, the ALA tracked a stunning 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022.
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