April 1, 2022 - Collated by OIF Staff and News Editor on the Intellectual Freedom Blog

Highlights

• Terri Lesley Receives IFRT Immroth Memorial Award
• A Note from Brandy Colbert
• The librarians uniting to battle school book ban laws | ABC News

Censorship

• Working group to study allegations of explicit library books | Times-Union (ID)
• LASD parent claims 'legitimate concern' to ban books | Gettysburg Times (PA)
• This book caused a stir for some Charlotte parents. Students picked it. | Charlotte Observer (NC)
• Questions arise after controversial 'Gender Queer' book surfaces at Perry Hall High School library | Nottingham (MD)
• Llano library advisory board decides to meet in private | Axios (TX)
• Map: Where anti-critical race theory efforts have reached | ABC News
• Parent wants some books banned in a Johnson County school district. Board says no | Kansas City Star (KS)
• Ridgeland leaders to withhold funding library until memorandum is signed | WJTV (MS)
• New Orleans school board reverses little known ban on jazz | KXXV
• Opinion column gets Lafayette resident kicked off library committee | Acadiana Advocate (LA)
• CRT debate repeats past battles about state history textbooks | Hechinger Report (AL)
• 'Angry' Keller ISD parents have challenged 33 books, including the Bible, since October | WFAA (TX)
• Cadott school board makes final decision on possible book removals | WEAU (WI)
• Amid nationwide challenges to sexually explicit books, West Chester school district keeps 'Gender Queer' | Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
• NCAC criticizes Texas state representative Patterson's attempt to bully his state's educators to censor school books | National Coalition Against Censorship
• Misuse of books reported at the Sharpsburg Community Library | TribLive (PA)
• School district in Prosper, Texas, removes 30 books in violation of procedure | National Coalition Against Censorship
• Park Ridge residents debate what’s appropriate for teen LGBT, sexuality books in library | Chicago Tribune
• Controversial Books Continue To Be Topic Of Public Comment At County School Board Meetings | Daily News Record (VA)
• Onekama parents voice concerns over novel | Manistee News (OK)
• ‘Redeployment,’ Acclaimed Book of War Stories, Banned in Some Maryland Schools | Coffe or Die Magazine

Privacy & Cybersecurity

• U.S.-EU data privacy deal faces key questions on surveillance | Wall Street Journal

More privacy news is available at the Voices for Privacy blog.

First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties

• Supreme Court says official's First Amendment rights not violated by censure | Washington Post
• We can't police our way out of homelessness and mental health crises | NYCLUWe can't police our way out of homelessness and mental health crises | NYCLU
• First Amendment victory: Investigative jounalist Manuel Duran wins asylum | Southern Poverty Law Center
• Colorado jury awards $14 million to demonstrators injured in George Floyd protests | New York Times
• Supreme Court will be making a major ruling on free speech and the rights of sexual minorities | Forbes
• Kingston demonstrations shine a spotlight on imperiled free speech | USA Today
• Judge: Racist threats not protected by First Amendment | CBS8

Academic Freedom & Campus Speech

• Faculty groups release statement regarding academic freedom, CRT | North Texas Daily
• Dan Patrick's plan to end tenure at Texas universities could have dire consequences, experts warn | Houston Public Media
• Foes ask judge to block 'intellectual freedom' surveys | CBS4 (FL)
• College Students Feel Pain of State Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills | Inside Higher Ed

Legislation

• Anti-CRT bills are aimed to incite the GOP base—not parents | Brookings
• 'Victims of Communism Day' mandate for schools heading to governor's desk | Florida Phoenix
• DeSantis signs bill intensifying scrutiny of school library books and imposing 12-year limit on school board terms | Flagler Live (FL)
• Virginia is about to enact a Florida-style law censoring LGBTQ2S+ education in schools | Xtra Magazine
• The librarians uniting to battle school book ban laws | ABC News
• Bill to ban 'obscene' books in school libraries passes Tennessee House | Action News 5
  • Tennessee House advances school book scrutiny bill | AP
  • Parents' opinions differ on bill allowing school board members to deem books 'obscene' | Local News 3 (TN)
• The state(s) of 'Don't Say Gay' and other school censorship efforts | Advocate
• Georgia House passes bill that changes the way books get banned in schools | Atlanta Voice
  • Georgia lawmakers want to take the 'local' out of our libraries | Georgia Recorder

Social Media

• The COVID-19 pandemic pushed social media to become increasingly tribal | Conversation
• Twitter bot network amplifying Russian disinformation about Ukraine war, researcher says | ABC Science

Copyright

• Supreme Court to hear copyright fight over Andy Warhol's images of Prince | New York Times

Information Literacy & Disinformation

• Opinion: Mainstream media have failed to notice their own disinformation issue | Washington Post

International News

• China's TikTok is Russia's new disinformation machine -- Opinion | Newsweek
• BBC turns to dark web and shortwave radio to bring outside news to Russian people amid wartime crackdown | inews

Around the Web

• Opinion column gets Lafayette resident kicked off library committee | The Advocate (LA)
• A student's voice on critical race theory in schools | Record-Courier
• Furor over CRT, pulling books is "manufactured crisis": Dallas ISD leader | NBC DFW (TX)
• Opinion: Book bans are about winning elections, not protecting children | Austin American-Statesman
• Schools have become the latest culture war battleground. Are public libraries next? | KSL
• Index on Censorship, inspired by Soviet dissidents, marks 50 years of fighting for free speech | Guardian
• Alice Walker disinvited to Bay Area book festival for anti-Israel views | Forward
• In 'social-emotional learning,' right sees more critical race theory | Washington Post

ALA News

• Comic book artist and writer, Kevin Eastman will present at the 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition in Washington, D.C.
• ACRL 2023 Call for Proposals Now Available
• White House FY 2023 Budget Proposal Positive but “Not Enough” for Libraries
• Job Fair Scheduled at ALA 2022 Annual Conference in Washington, DC

eLearning

• Project Management in Libraries
• Tools for Locating Primary Sources in Archives and Online
• Design and Marketing for Libraries Webinar
• April 2022 Online Learning with RUSA
• Genealogical Research for Librarians
• Providing Effective Health Reference in the Age of Misinformation
• Technology Competencies for Paraprofessionals
• More eLearning opportunites

Publishing

• Learner-centered techniques for academic library instruction
• Young Activists and the Public Library: Facilitating Democracy: Assisted by social media and other digital tools, today’s children and teens are energetic and active participants in a host of social causes, from climate change and gun control to voting rights and racial equity. Public libraries can facilitate their activism by providing trustworthy information and creating opportunities for young people to develop leadership and participation skills. A past president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), in this book Walter demonstrates how libraries can foster greater civic literacy and civic engagement in young patrons.

Awards & Grants

• Showcase Your Library’s Interior Design Work by Applying for the 2022 ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards

More ALA News

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)
225 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601 1-800-545-2433 x4226

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