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Check Your Shelf

Striking Libraries and Plagiarizing Authors

Adaptations, cool library updates, and more links of relevance to libraries this week.

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Katie McLain Horner

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 an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she's not at work, she's at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves. Twitter: @kt_librarylady

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Here are the library and censorship news items to put on your radar for this week!

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The Pima County Library system (AZ) has a proposal that would close multiple locations next due to chronic staffing shortages and financial strain.

Halifax Public Libraries staff (Nova Scotia) hit the picket line for the first day of their strike.

Cool Library Updates

The 462-year-old town of Port Royal in Beaufort County, South Carolina, just opened up the first public library in the town’s history!

Illinois has increased court access through partnerships with public libraries.

A woman has made it her mission to visit all 70 public libraries in Rhode Island.

Worth Reading

How the NYPL launched a meme campaign to get library funding restored.

How Canadian libraries grapple with the cost of safety amid ongoing security incidents.

Book Adaptations in the News

Netflix is working on a modern adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Diana Gabaldon confirms that the Outlander show will end differently than the books.

Here’s a first look at the upcoming adaptation of ‘Salem’s Lot.

Everything to know about the upcoming adaptation of We Were Liars.

Censorship News

Are you registered to vote?

A new survey shows that most Americans are unengaged with book banning efforts in public schools.

“The Independent Book Publishers Association and EveryLibrary Institute have teamed up for We Are Stronger Than Censorship, a program to supply diverse books to young readers and counteract book banning efforts.”

The American Booksellers Association is publishing a handbook for fighting book bans.

(Paywalled): Fort Bend ISD (TX) approves a controversial library book policy.

(Paywalled): New College (FL) has moved to fire the dean of the college’s library after the recent “weeding” fiasco.

Lynchburg County Schools (VA) are getting upset about the Free Speech Handbook being distributed to students, and the author has weighed in.

“Calls to restrict a series of sex education books have been endorsed by electors in one of Western Australia’s largest regional cities amid what an LGBTQI advocacy group has labelled a sign of ‘moral panic’.”

Books & Authors in the News

Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility, has been accused of plagiarizing several Asian American academics in her doctoral dissertation.

(CW: sexual assault): A fifth woman has accused Neil Gaiman of sexual assault.

Numbers & Trends

The new trend in book covers is old-timey animals.

The most-read books on Goodreads last week.

The best-selling books of the week.

Award News

The finalists for the 2024 Kirkus Prize have been announced.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

What happens when a book club goes bad?

When is it okay to not finish a book?

And Here’s a Cat Photo!

a brown tabby cat fully stretched out on its back with its front paws over its head

We’re back back back from vacation, and as I haven’t had an opportunity to take a new adorable photo of the kitties (shocking, I know!), here’s one of my recent favorite photos of Jonesy. He was so happy to see us when we got back — he made biscuits on my neck while I tried to get some sleep.

That’s all I have for this week. I hope all you US Rioters enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.