How Houston Students Are Pushing Back On Censorship, and More Library News

Katie McLain Aug 9, 2024

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Katie McLain

Contributing Editor

Katie's parents never told her "no" when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Lake Forest College and is working towards a master's degree in library science at U of I. She works full time at a public library reference desk in northern IL, specializing in readers’ advisory and general book enthusiasm, and she has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying. (She takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers.) When she's not spending every waking hour at the library, she's at home watching Cubs baseball with her cats and her cardigan collection, and when she's not at home, she's spending too much money on concert tickets. Her hobbies include debating the finer points of Harry Potter canon, hitting people upside the head who haven’t read The Martian, and convincing her boyfriend that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves. Twitter: @kt_librarylady

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Like much of the Internet population, I have been thoroughly enjoying all of the “Midwestern Dad” memes popping up around Tim Walz. But I am also very much enjoying this clip of him at the Wisconsin rally telling Republicans, “I sure the hell don’t need you telling us what books we’re going to read.” More of this energy, please!

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The Queens Public Library opens a new branch in Far Rockaway.

A group of far-right rioters set the Spellow Hub Library in Liverpool on fire, but an appeal for donations has raised over £120,000 in two days.

Worth Reading

5 strategies to verify facts in the age of AI.

Book Adaptations in the News

Everything to know about the new Game of Thrones prequel spinoff series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Kara Swisher’s Burn Book: A Tech Love Story has been optioned as a series.

Amazon is developing a series based on Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After.

Jon M. Chu will be directing a Britney Spears biopic, based on her memoir, The Woman in Me.

Mark Hamill joins the cast of the upcoming adaptation of The Long Walk by Stephen King.

Holly Jackson responds to fans’ criticism over the adaptation of The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

A look at all of the Emily Henry books that are being adapted.

Censorship News

A new era for Banned Books Week.

A roundup of proposed national legislation that would impact libraries.

Here is the full text of Project 2025, and in the foreword on page 34 by Kevin D. Roberts, he goes right in on the censorship of school and public libraries: “Look at America under the ruling and cultural elite today…children suffer the toxic normalization of transgenderism with drag queens and pornography invading their school libraries.” Project 2025 covers a LOT of frightening territory, but don’t for a second think that the censorship of public schools is an afterthought for these people. It’s one of their primary goals.

The Mission Consolidated Independent School District (TX) says it won’t actually be removing or reviewing 676 books the school system’s former superintendent committed to purging earlier this summer. I remain skeptical.

How Houston-area students are taking on conservative school boards.

Florida has seen a 148% increase in book bans since 2021.

(Paywalled): Citrus County Public Library (FL) moved several challenged books from the young adult section to the adult section.

The Jeannette Public Library (PA) received a bomb threat.

Hampton University (VA) also received a false bomb threat, although there isn’t any indication of a motive.

Sociology professor Katherine Gerlaugh says that book bans in Catawba County (NC) could lead to economic uncertainty, because who wants to move to an area where books and education are being actively challenged?

Will the new South Carolina law overrule the decision made by Beaufort County Schools to retain most of their challenged books?

The Autauga-Prattville Public Library board (AL) invited a fringe pediatrician to speak at a recent board meeting about the danger of children being exposed to sexual subjects. This doctor is part of an anti-LGBTQ group of pediatricians that “opposes abortion rights and adoption by gay couples, while promoting conversion therapy.”

In other Autauga-Prattville news, “a group challenging restrictive policies at the Autauga-Prattville Public Library last week renewed its call for a federal court to block those policies, arguing recent changes by the library do not address their concerns.”

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (AL) grapples with how to comply with the new state guidelines for public libraries to receive financial aid. I appreciated this quote from the library board chair: “‘We’re wrestling with it, we want to figure it out and we want to do it the right way; but at the same time, I don’t want to sacrifice our smaller branches and those populations that rely on the library that can’t run out and buy (a book) from Barnes and Noble or Amazon…If some of these regulations, for us to be compliant, are going to deprive them of access–I think as a board, we’re not here for the state of Alabama. We’re here for the Huntsville-Madison County community.’”

Proposals to ban more books in the Knox County School District (TN) have failed.

Green Hill High School (TN) has temporarily closed its library to figure out which books need to be removed under the new state law, and the district has warned teachers to forego classroom libraries for the same reason.

After the Alpena County Board of Commissioners (MI) voted to replace all of the library board trustees, a group of concerned citizens are pushing back.

New Lincoln City Library Board trustee Terri Dunlap was asked about book banning at her first meeting. This is in Nebraska.

Utah has banned 13 books from public schools across the state under its new law.

Buzzfeed posted an article about an Idaho mom’s TikTok video explaining how her child’s access to the public library has been cut off in the wake of the state’s new legislation.

Calls to remove LGBTQ children’s books at Crook County Public Library (OR) are increasing.

As LGBTQ library material comes under fire, California may ban book bans.

The Thunder Bay Public Library (ON) received a bomb threat in response to a Drag Queen Story Time event. This is the second time this year that this library has received a bomb threat in response to such an event.

Books & Authors in the News

(CW: sexual assault) Two more women have come forward accusing Neil Gaiman of sexual assault and abuse.

Read JD Vance’s violent forward that he wrote for Project 2025.

“Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, will delay publication of his forthcoming book in the wake of a media firestorm sparked by Democratic criticism of the Heritage-led initiative Project 2025.”

Jimmy Fallon picks Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods for his book club’s summer title.