June 10, 2022 - Collated by OIF Staff and News Editor on the Intellectual Freedom Blog

Highlights

Fight Censorship: Keeping PRIDE Books on Display | The Office for Intellectual Freedom has received multiple reports over the last two days about individuals checking out all the books from a library’s PRIDE Month display to prevent other readers viewing or reading the books. This censorship tactic is being promoted by a fringe Catholic political advocacy group, CatholicVote.

Censorship

• Library group again implores Wentzville school board to stop banning books | St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Abilene City Council hears arguments pro and con on LGBTQ materials in libraries | Abilene Reporter News
• Medford School District book removal amounts to 'censorship,' says state library association | OPB (OR)
• Nampa School Board to discuss challenged books process at special Monday work session | KTVB (ID)
  • Nampa librarian tells school board fewer books is not the answer after book ban | NPR
  • Idaho school boards can't simply ban library books without following a process | Idaho Statesman
  • School board, staff, parents discuss path forward on challenged books | Idaho State Journal
• Parents enflamed by mature graphic novel in K-6 library, NMUSD mulls book policy | Daily Pilot (CA)
• Holly Weaver: To ban it or not? A local teacher fights for the right to teach a book | Greensboro News & Record (NC)
• Petition calls for books to be removed from University Schools middle and high school libraries | Greeley Tribune (CO)
• California parent alleges St. Mary's public schools are 'sexualizing' children | Southern Maryland News
• Pussy Riot, 'Bong hits 4 Jesus' in 5th grade summer-reading book spark parent concerns | NOLA.com (LA)
• LGBTQ+ related books a hot topic in Abilene City Council meeting | KTXS (TX)
  • Council to review Abilene Public Library policy in wake of complaints about LGBTQ book | Abilene Reporter News
• Spotsylvania review panel determines challenged books can stay in high school libraries | Free Lance-Star (VA)
• Roanoke County schools' leaders consider policy changes for school libraries, discussing controversial topics | Roanoke Times
• C-6 parents may monitor their children's library activities next school year | My Leader (MO)
• Acadiana advocacy group declares opposition to book display ban in Lafayette public libraries | KLFY (LA)
  • An interview with Lafayette library director Danny Gillane on book display censorship | KLFY (LA)
• Cody School District says no to banning "The Color Purple" | Cowboy State Daily (WY)
• Ketchikan City Council declines to cancel planned drag queen storytime event | KRBD (AK)
• Emails show RCAS board members informed of removing books | Rapid City Journal (SD)
  • Woster: The banned-book sagoua continues, with new details in emails | South Dakota Public Broadcasting
• Frederick County school board candidate checks out LGBTQ+ books to keep out of reach of children | WMAR (MD)
• Catholics crowd source LGBTQ-Pride library censorship | Los Angeles Blade
  • Catholic org encourages libraries to "hide the Pride" in gross new campaign | Into
• Elizabethtown Area School District denies request to remove 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' from library | Lancaster Online (PA)
• Hillsdale community sees mounting tension over potential library book bans | WKAR (MI)
  • Some seek removal of Hillsdale library board member who proposed political restrictions on materials | Fox47 (MI)
• Kent School District to vote on ban of book featuring LGBTQ+ content | King5 (WA)
  • ACLU threatens possible legal action if Kent school board removes LGBTQ+-themed book | KOMO News (WA)
  • Kent school board pushes vote back on ban of LGBTQ+-themed book from middle school | KOMO News (WA)
• Osceola library supervisor explains process behind book selection to school board members | Click Orlando (FL)
• Library board doesn't understand constitutional rights | Flathead Beacon (MT)
• After emotional testimony, Carroll County school board bans Pride flags | Fox45 News (MD)
• 'Speech police': Hood County law enforcement investigates 'porn' in Granbury ISD library | Dallas Observer (TX)
• Cy-Fair ISD sees increase in calls to remove contentious books | Community Impact Newspaper (TX)
• Vonnegut Museum wants meeting with Brevard moms group over banned book | Click Orlando (FL)
• 8 books challenged in Catawba County have been reviewed; most remain in libraries | Hickory Daily Record (NC)
• 'Censorship is a slippery slope.' Ashland library rejects call to remove five books | Ashland Daily Record (OH)

Privacy & Cybersecurity

• Texas schools lead the nation in the use of social media surveillance | KERA News
• Bipartisan bill establishes all-encompassing federal data privacy standards | NextGov
• The Bipartisan, Bicameral Privacy Proposal Is a Big Deal | Lawfare

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

First Amendment, Free Speech, & Civil Liberties

• For LGBTQ+ students, this year's Pride Month comes at a perilous time | Brookings
• The racist roots of Ron DeSantis' "Don't Say Gay" law | Washington Monthly
• Free-speech group will spend millions to promote First Amendment cases | Politico
• Justice Department launches civil rights investigation of Louisiana State Police | NBC News
• Florida is firing back in a fight over how race can be taught in public schools and in the workplace | WFSU Public Media

Academic Freedom & Campus Speech

• Legislation to limit critical race theory at colleges has reached fever pitch | Chronicle of Higher Education
• Can students speak freely on campus? | Psychology Today
• Texas A&M librarians give up tenure status in academic reorganization | Houston Chronicle

Legislation

• Teachers rally against new law limiting classroom lessons as state tries to dismiss lawsuit | Concord Monitor (NH)
• Florida is firing back in a fight over how race can be taught in public schools and in the workplace | WFSU
• Kids are already struggling as 'Parents Bill of Rights' head to governor's desk | NC Policy Watch
• Bill targeting race, gender lessons in Michigan schools moves ahead | Chalkbeat

Journalism & Media

• Students claim Olympia high school is censoring student-run news outlets | Fox13 (WA)

Social Media

• Opinion: The Supreme Court gives tech a win -- and a reason to worry | Washington Post
  • A Supreme Court speech showdown is coming and nobody knows what to expect | Verge
• Misunderstandings of the First Amendment hobble content moderation | Brookings
• From Brazil to Texas, politicians are trying to throw out platforms' ability to moderate content | Coda

Information Literacy & Disinformation

• Bills meant to check Big Tech's power could lead to more disinformation | Washington Post
• Open source intelligence key to fighting Russian disinformation during Ukraine war | Tech Monitor
• Group aiming to defund disinformation tries to drain Fox News of online advertising | NPR
• Misdirection, fake news, and lies: The best books to read on disinformation | New York Times

Copyright

• Paramount sued over 'Top Gun' copyright as 'Maverick' soars at the box office | CNBC

International News

• China censored a top livestreamer on the eve of June 4. Now his fans are asking about the Tiananmen Square massacre | CNN
• How Turkey blocking websites became the norm | Ahval
• Quebec passes controversial bill to protect academic freedom | CTV News
• Jesus to rename China Centre over academic freedom concerns | Varsity
• Uzbekistan's journalists: 'Censorship in our minds and hearts' | Diplomat
• Hong Kong schools should remove books that endanger national security, education secretary says | Hong Kong Free Press

Around the Web

• 'It's embarrassing': 'Reading Rainbow' host LeVar Burton fires back at rise in banned books | USA Today
• Across the country, educational equity was in vogue. Then it wasn't. | Washington Post
• Librarians support students amid anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, challenges | School Library Journal
• 'The support was overwhelming': Round Rock holds first Pride Festival | KVUE
• Sen. Marco Rubio gloats as he gets Air Force base to cancel Drag Queen Story Hour | LGBTQ Nation
• Book banning in the US: These are the authors of color who censors are trying to silence | CNN
• Diverse books remind readers that their stories matter. Why are schools trying to ban so many of them? | Chalkbeat Detroit
• Citing threats of violence, Apex cancels drag queen story hour during Pride festival | News & Observer
  • 'Wrong decision.' Some in Apex outraged after drag queen story hour canceled at Pride Fest | ABC11
• How a book gets banned in America | Vice
• Winston-Salem art gallery holds banned book discussions | Spectrum Local
• VPL board meeting moved to city hall | Community Newspaper Group
• Florida, critical race theory and the future of textbooks | The 74
• Guest opinion: Book banning a 'lazy response' to ideas that scare us | Idaho News
• A meeting about critical race theory attracted dozens of East Penn residents. Instead of race, they heard about math scores and life skills. | Morning Call (PA)
• Eric Schmitt's latest target: student surveys in Kansas City area and across Missouri | KansasCity.com
• Vonnegut Library to donate 1,000 copies of 'Slaughterhouse-Five' to Florida schools | Indy Star
• The rise in book bans, explained | Washington Post
• A summer of banned books: BookPeople, Austin Public Library team up for 'freedom to read' | Austin American-Statesman (TX)

ALA News

• FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to open 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition
• Together with AT&T, PLA launches new DigitalLearn courses; announces new incentive program for library digital literacy workshops
• ALA President Patricia “Patty” Wong to moderate Asian American Panel at ALA President’s Program in Washington, D.C., June 23-28, 2022

eLearning

• Who Manages, Who Leads
• Unlocking Value: Keys to Incorporating Open Access in Library Collections
• Strategies for Uncovering Black Women’s Voices in Primary Sources
• Reading the Art in Picture Books
• More eLearning opportunites

Publishing

• Three-year research study suggests co-teaching significantly facilitates learner-centered instruction
• A comprehensive HR toolkit for public library managers
• The Newbery Practitioner’s Guide

Awards & Grants

• Core to Honor Award Winners at 2022 ALA Annual Conference
• Saint Marys (Penn.) Area Middle School Wins ALA’s 2022 Jaffarian Award for Empathizing with Teens in Trauma: Terezín/Theresienstadt Museum Project
• Christoforos Sassaris Awarded 2022 Core Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship

More ALA News

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)
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