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The Week in Libraries: November 3, 2023
Among the week's headlines: the Alabama Public Library Service suggests moving on from the ALA's Library Bill of Rights; an Arkansas librarian recently fired for defending the freedom to read has no regrets (and a lawyer); lawmakers in Massachusetts consider a new library e-book bill; and Barack Obama shares an AI reading list.
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ALA Report Looks at Millennial, Gen Z Library Usage, Media Habits
The report, based on a “nationally representative” 2022 survey of some 2,075 Gen Z and Millennials, presents one of the most in-depth looks at how growing up in an increasingly digital environment has shaped the reading and media consumption behavior of younger Americans.
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The Week in Libraries: October 27, 2023
Among the week's headlines: school librarians gather for AASL in Tampa, an Arkansas state senator threatens the Arkansas Library Association, and net neutrality begins its long awaited comeback.
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The Week in Libraries: October 20, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a congressional hearing in support of book bans; more librarian blowback for Scholastic Book Fairs over its optional collection of diverse books; and the Urban Library Council issues a report on AI in libraries.
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The Week in Libraries: October 13, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Montana looks to remove a state requirement that directors at larger library systems have an MLIS degree; Brewster Kahle defends libraries; the DNC passes a resolution supporting the right to read in libraries; and an Arkansas library director is fired for defending the right to read.
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The Week in Libraries: October 6, 2023
Among the week's headlines: ALA executive director Tracie D. Hall resigns; how a new 'harmful to minors' rule is playing out in Missouri; and 'USA Today' reports on the website fueling book bans across the nation.
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Tracie D. Hall Out at American Library Association
In a surprise announcement, the ALA said that executive director Tracie D. Hall resigned from her position effective October 6, bringing a sudden end to her tenure after a challenging four years for the organization.
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Schedule Set, but Order Blocking Texas Book Rating Law Still in Limbo
In an October 2 filing, the plaintiffs argued that staying a federal judge's decision to enjoin HB 900 would "radically upend the status quo” and leave booksellers in a precarious position. But that is exactly where things stand, as an administrative stay issued by the Fifth Circuit effectively allows the law to take effect despite being found unconstitutional.
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The Week in Libraries: September 29, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Banned Books Week begins on Sunday; South Carolina's state library withdraws from the ALA; EveryLibrary and 'Book Riot' survey parents attitudes about book bans; and 'Library Journal' questions whether KKR's ownership of OverDrive is an issue for the firm's acquisition of publisher Simon & Schuster.
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Appeals Court Temporarily Stays Injunction Blocking Texas Book Rating Law
The temporary hold, which is not based on the merits of the case, puts Judge Alan D. Albright's preliminary injunction on ice while the Fifth Circuit considers the state's bid to stay the injunction.
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The Week in Libraries: September 22, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a judge in Washington rejects a bid by book banners to force a vote on closing the local library; a Colorado librarian who was wrongly fired after refusing to censor LGBTQ programming is awarded $250,000; Alabama's state librarian defends the ALA; and LeVar Burton will serve as honorary chair for Banned Books Week.
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New PEN America Report Finds 33% Jump in School Book Bans
"Amid a growing climate of censorship, school book bans continue to spread through coordinated campaigns by a vocal minority of groups and individual actors and, increasingly, as a result of pressure from state legislation," the report finds.
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New ALA Data Shows Book Challenges Still Surging
Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ALA reported 695 attempts to censor library materials between January 1 and August 31, 2023, and 1,915 unique titles challenged—a 20% jump over last year.
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The Week in Libraries: September 15, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a politically charged hearing on book bans in the U.S. Senate; Illinois libraries face another wave of bomb threats; an internal report reveals the strain library workers at the Oakland Public Library are feeling; and a brilliant essay explores how today's right wing attacks on libraries echo from a dark chapter in our history.
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Texas Judge Hears Arguments Over Scope of HB 900 Injunction
At a hearing, judge Alan D. Albright appeared open to allowing parts of Texas's book rating law take effect, while attorneys for the plaintiffs insisted the law is unconstitutional and should be blocked in its entirety.
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ALA Seeks Member Input on Freedom to Read Statement Revision
In the midst of a historic rise in book bans, the American Library Association has announced a series of "listening sessions" which could lead to the first revision of the landmark Freedom to Read statement since 2004.
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The Week in Libraries: September 8, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Alabama Governor Kay Ivey questions the work of public libraries in her state; the political attacks on the ALA continue; the Senate finally confirms a fifth FCC commissioner, breaking a years-long partisan deadlock; and paying tribute to the first Black librarian in the school district of Philadelphia.
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EBSCO Helps Librarians Build Spanish Collections
The academic database platform's NoveList's Core Collection offers librarians a database of 7,000 Spanish-language titles.
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Ruling Imminent on Motion to Dismiss Texas Book Rating Law
A second day of arguments was heard in federal court in Austin over a motion by a consortium of booksellers and book business organizations to block HB 900, Texas's controversial new book rating law.
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The Week in Libraries: August 25, 2023
Among the week's headlines: bomb threats are made against librarians in Illinois and Oklahoma; Texas leaves the ALA, with Wyoming headed that way, too; and Washington State Librarian Sara Jones offers a powerful defense of librarians.
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