The Week in Libraries: June 14, 2024

Among the week's headlines: book banning cases heat up in the courts; South Carolina considers a restrictive new library rule for minors; and a photo generates outrage over Houston's plans for some of its school libraries.

Oklahoma Supreme Court Blocks State Effort to Ban Books from School Libraries

The decision comes after state officials oversaw the creation of new rules governing library content in schools last year and demanded that the Edmond Public School district remove two books from high school library shelves over sexual content.

At Hearing, Appeals Court Appears Skeptical of Injunction Blocking Iowa’s Book Ban Law

During a tense 30-minute oral argument, the court suggested that federal judge Stephen Locher may have overstepped in preliminarily enjoining key provisions of Iowa law SF 496 on constitutional grounds.

Author Events Programming at Free Library of Philadelphia a 'Hot Mess' After Staff Firings

Events at the Philadelphia institution are being canceled in the wake of the firing of its entire author events team last week.

ALA 2024: ‘That Librarian’ Fights Back: PW Talks with Amanda Jones

The author of ‘That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America’ discusses her fight for the freedom to read and her debut memoir.

Access and Advocacy: PW Talks with Becky Calzada

The incoming president of the American Association of School Librarians spoke with PW about the busy year ahead and her plans to bolster and lead school librarians in a fraught time for the profession.

Comics Thrive in Libraries Through Digital Lending

Comics Plus and other digital lending platforms are a growing area for the discovery and circulation of graphic novels in libraries.

Librarians Celebrate Comics in the Face of Censorship

At a time when books are under fire like never before, librarians are joining forces to seek out “the good stuff” to celebrate and sharing strategic practices to counter challenges leveraged increasingly at comics and graphic novels.

The Week in Libraries: June 7, 2024

Among the week's headlines: An appeals court upholds a key freedom to read decision in Llano County, Texas; author Hanif Abdurraqib will keynote the ALA's Rally for the Right to Read; and what happened to the Free Library of Philadelphia's Author Events team?

The Week in Libraries: May 31, 2024

Among the week's headlines: outgoing ALA president Emily Drabinksi hits the road ahead of the ALA Annual Conference; book bans in Tennessee are poised to get more complicated as a new statewide commission begins work; and the Louisiana state senate passes a bill giving politicians control over library boards.

New DPLA Campaign to Feature ‘Banned Book of the Week’

The effort will feature a banned book every Wednesday on DPLA’s social media accounts. Last year, the group launched its Banned Book Club, a program that uses GPS-based “geo-targeting” to enable readers to check out e-book versions of banned books via an e-reader app.

Former Louisiana Library Trustees Sue to Get Positions Back

Amid an ongoing battle over book banning, the ousted board members are suing St. Tammany Parish claiming they are victims of a “smear campaign that vilified them, and sought and achieved their ouster.”

Bill Protecting Libraries, Librarians Passes Illinois House, Heads for Senate

House Bill 4567 expands protections for libraries and library workers by making those threaten libraries with violence subject to the same enhanced penalties as individuals who threaten schools. The measure also creates a grant program to support improved library security.

Breaking Down Barriers to Library Circulation

The Week in Libraries: May 17, 2024

Among the week's headlines: ALA reports that library advocates stepped up for federal library funding; Alabama passes new rules for public libraries; and librarians in Montana pulled off an ice cold protest against the state library commission.

Librarians, Advocates Sue to Block Restrictive New Alabama Library Policies

The suit comes amid a months-long drama which saw allies of a right-wing group take over the library board and abruptly fire the library director. “This is about who should get to decide what books our kids get to read—parents or politicians,” said Angie Hayden of Read Freely Alabama, one of the lead plaintiffs, in a statement.

The Week in Libraries: May 10, 2024

Among the headlines this week: John Oliver weighs in on book bans and libraries (and so do his viewers); more library drama in Alabama; and how to prepare for Pride month.

The Week in Libraries: May 3, 2024

Advocacy efforts for federal library funding shift to the Senate, a librarian has joined the Democratic gubernatorial ticket in Utah, 'Library Journal' has named its 2024 class of Movers & Shakers, and more in this week's library news.

The Week in Libraries: April 26, 2024

Among the week's headlines: a deadline looms for federal library funding; the FCC votes to restore net neutrality rules; Maryland passes a law designed to discourage book bans; and why Alabama librarians are feeling exhausted.