Banned Books Week Roundup and More Library News
Banned Books Week is drawing to a close, but that’s not going to put a stop to the censorship happening across the country. I hope all of you have been able to promote the importance of Banned Books Week at your schools and libraries, and remember that this is a year-round fight. We’ve got lots of resources and updates for you today.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
Sebastopol Library (CA) Branch Manager Mathew Rose was fired last week by the Sonoma County Library, the culmination of a long and bizarre series of events that seem to pit Rose against library administrators.
Book Adaptations in the News
Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis are starring in an Amazon series based on the Kay Scarpetta novels by Patricia Cornwell.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi (two of the most objectively attractive actors of our time) are starring in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Casting update for People We Meet on Vacation.
Jo Nesbø is adapting his horror novel The Night House for film.
George Dawes Green’s The Kingdoms of Savannah is being adapted for TV.
Here’s the trailer for Small Things Like These, based on the book by Claire Keegan and starring Cillian Murphy.
Censorship News
Why teens across the country are acquiring Brooklyn Public Library’s free digital cards.
How to effectively message against book bans. This is key: “When we tested messages that lampooned the book banners, made them look weird and strange, and cast them as out-of-touch outsiders, we found that those messages were extremely effective at disarming them. If we can make a joke at the expense of the censors or otherwise make them appear inept, corrupt, or silly, they lose their power. If we take their messaging seriously, so will the public, and we will only reinforce their messaging instead of ours.” In other words, we need to remind everyone that the book banners are the weird ones out of touch with reality, and there’s no reason to give them any power over our schools and libraries.
ALA reports that book bans are slowing in 2024, which is in contrast to PEN America’s recent report that book challenges in schools have skyrocketed over the last year.
New state laws are fueling a surge in book bans.
Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) have introduced a bicameral resolution condemning book bans.
The Association for Library Service to Children has shared an “Inspiring Future Voters” booklist for readers of all ages.
Not surprisingly, LGBTQ+ content tops the list of the most frequently banned books of 2023.
The state of comics and censorship during Banned Books Week.
Children’s authors on the real-world cost of book banning.
How booksellers are taking on book banners.
Penguin Random House has created a new public policy position to help combat book bans.
Modern-day McCarthyists: The fight against book bans in Llano County (TX). Meanwhile, Llano County has argued to the appeals court that the library has a right “to cull books based on sex, gender and racism.”
The Florida Attorney General’s office is heading out of state to defend Texas’ library book bans.
The Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and others have filed an amicus brief in support of a challenge to Texas’ House Bill (HB) 1181.
Parents in Lake Travis ISD (TX) can now restrict what their children read through the district’s online catalog.
(Paywalled): Pasco Public Libraries have “suppressed” over 100 children’s books with LGBTQ+ themes.
“In Corpus Christi [TX], the conservative-majority public library board recommended policy changes to restrict minors from certain content without parental input, remove references to diversity and the freedom to read, and make it easier to challenge books.”
The Watertown School Board (NY) is being asked to approve the removal of 47 books from the high school library.
Moms for Liberty filed a lawsuit against Clyde-Savannah Junior-Senior High (NY), and the lawsuit is now moving to the Albany County Supreme Court.
People in Grafton, West Virginia are upset about the books on sale at a local bookstore. But this isn’t book banning, right? I mean, kids can still access the books at school or at the public libr…oh, wait…
Prince William Schools (VA) are implementing new “parental control” systems after someone challenged A Court of Thorns and Roses.
The Samuels Public Library (VA) has been named Virginia’s Library of the Year after dealing with months of attacks from the local book banning group, Clean Up Samuels.
As book challenges continue across South Carolina, the Charleston County Public Library stands firm on their process.
Greenville County Schools (SC) are canceling their annual book fairs and pointing fingers at the new state legislation.
Cobb County (GA) School District removed 6 more “sexually explicit” books, bringing the total up to 26 books banned from the district. Meanwhile, the ongoing book banning has teachers worried, and a local group plans to hold a press conference before a recent Board of Education meeting where they explain how they’re “taking a stand against pornography in Cobb schools.”
Columbia County (GA) libraries have adopted new guidelines that have relocated a number of books from the Teen/Young Adult collections to the Adult section.
The Atmore Public Library (AL) is enacting a new policy on October 1st based on the recent guidelines issued by the Alabama Public Library Service: “[N]o one under the age of 18 will be able to check out any book, video or other form of media from the local library unless a parent or guardian is present to OK the transaction, or a signed consent form is on file that gives the juvenile permission to borrow any item available for checkout.”
The Freedom to Read Foundation backs plaintiffs in the Prattville Library (AL) suit.
(Paywalled): The battle over books in Livingston Parish (LA) comes down to a single shelf.
Under Tennessee’s stricter school library law, some books quietly disappear.
Rutherford County Board of Education (TN) has banned 6 books from high school libraries, including Beloved by Toni Morrison, but the ACLU has warned them that book banning isn’t a good look for a school district.
“The Francis Howell school board [MO] on Thursday will vote on a policy amendment that would allow hate speech, false science and false historical claims in educational materials. The change would reverse a vote the board took in August that banned such content.”
“The Billings School Board [MT] has voted to approve a new library collection policy that aligns the district with state law while maintaining librarians’ decision-making authority over materials collection. The approval marked the end of a nine-month-long censorship saga, which began in January with a debate over whether to remove a graphic novel about a gang of junior high misfits tasked with killing their octopus-like homeroom teacher to prevent earth from being destroyed and concluded with a debate over whether the policy should be amended to include a clause explicitly banning librarians from purchasing material that is illegal to distribute to minors, such as pornography.”
“Plass’s proposal would move adult content books to a lockable room, closet or cabinet that would be away from the public view. People 18 years or older would be given an Adult Access library card. In order to check out books in the Adult Access Only areas, patrons would request and check out a key at the front desk. A key log would be recorded to see when the key was checked out and returned.” Yeah, this sounds like a great idea... (This is in Idaho.)
Book challenges in public libraries are on the rise in Oregon.
The Ashland Public Library (OR) removed a Pride flag that had been on display since 2020 because members of the community questioned whether or not hanging the flag constituted a “statement” on the part of the library.
Books & Authors in the News
Best-selling author Nelson DeMille has died at 81.
Numbers & Trends
The most-read books on Goodreads last week.
The best-selling books of the week.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
College students aren’t reading like they used to, so teachers are adjusting how classes look.
Mattel has added Isabel Allende to their “Inspiring Women” Barbie line!
And Here’s a Cat Photo!
*Brain has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down*
Hopefully you’re not finishing the week like Jonesy here. I’ll be back on Tuesday!
