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Missouri Proposes New ‘Protection of Minors’ Rule for Libraries
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last week announced a new proposed rule he says will protect minors in the state’s libraries, but librarians and freedom to read advocates say the unwieldy new rule is a "First Amendment minefield."
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2022: A 'Seismic Transformation' in Scholarly Publishing
From Plan S to the recently announced White House OSTP open access policy, scholarly publishers must navigate a rapidly shifting policy landscape
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ALA Soliciting Nominations for Three Annual Intellectual Freedom Awards
With censorship and book bans still on the rise, one powerful way to defend intellectual Freedom is is to honor those who fight for it.
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Publishers, Internet Archive Ready for Summary Judgment Hearing in Book Scan Case
With a final round of briefs now filed, a federal judge could soon hear oral arguments for summary judgment in a closely watched copyright case over the scanning and lending of library books.
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The Truth About Fiction
A longtime librarian discovers that a healthy love of fiction is actually, well, healthy.
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Biden Reestablishes President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
The committee, which had collapsed under the Trump Administration, will advise President Biden and the heads of the three major U.S. cultural agencies—the IMLS, the NEA, and the NEH—on “policy objectives, philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services.”
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Reed, Grijalva Introduce Bill to Support School Libraries
The Right to Read Act would authorize up to $500 million in Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants as well as investing in recruiting state-certified school librarians. The legislation also reaffirms that "First Amendment rights apply to school libraries," a direct response to a troubling wave of book bans and educational gag orders.
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Register Today for AAPI Communities in Conversation #10 Featuring Weike Wang, Author of 'Joan Is Okay'
Wang will appear in conversation with Lalitha Nataraj from the California State University San Marcos University Library.
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Authors, Advocacy Group Pen Open Letter Urging Publishers to Support Libraries
The advocacy group Fight for the Future has organized an open letter demanding that publishers and their trade organizations cease efforts the authors say are undermining libraries. In response, the AAP has labeled the campaign "disinformation," while a group led by the Authors Guild called the statement "highly misleading."
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Congressional Resolution Condemns Nationwide Book Banning Efforts
In honor of Banned Books Week, the resolution seeks to recognize the “alarming threats to freedom of expression” sweeping the country, and calls for “local governments and educational institutions” to protect the rights of Americans “to read a wide array of books reflecting a multitude of viewpoints and perspectives.”
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PEN America Report Shows ‘Rapid Acceleration’ of Book Bans in Schools
Coinciding with Banned Books Week 2022, PEN America has released an alarming new report, which found that more than 2,500 book bans were issued in some 140 school districts in 32 states during the 2021-22 school year.
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EveryLibrary Poll Finds Book Bans Are Broadly Unpopular With Voters
A new poll released to coincide with Banned Books Week confirms that efforts to censor books remain unpopular with voters across party lines.
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On Eve of Banned Books Week 2022, ALA Says Challenges Are Rising
ALA documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources involving 1,651 different titles through August, on pace to shatter last year's record number of challenges. Banned Books Week 2022 is set to run September 18-24.
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Library Futures Joins NYU’s Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy
At NYU, the two year-old library advocacy group will become part of a wider community of "practitioners, scholars, students, and researchers working together to further knowledge and policy in the service of the public good,” said Library Futures director Jennie Rose Halperin.
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After Strong First Season, Literati Book Fairs Expand into New Territories
Schools in select cities across the country will be able to operate a Literati Book Fair in the new academic year.
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Publishers, Internet Archive Trade Reply Briefs in Book Scanning Case
The parties sharpen their arguments for summary judgment in the closely watched copyright case.
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Judge Tosses Virginia Obscenity Cases, Declares State Law Unconstitutional
In a resounding victory for the freedom to read, a Virginia state judge on August 30 swiftly dismissed two closely watched cases that sought to bar the public display and sale of two books alleged to be obscene under an obscure state law, and in so doing struck down the state law the claims were based on.
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Register Today for AAPI Communities in Conversation #9 Featuring Andrea Wang, Author of 'The Many Meanings of Meilan'
Wang is set to appear in conversation with Crystal Chen of the New York Public Library. The live stream is set for Tuesday, September 6, at 1 PM ET.
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This Ohio Librarian Is Seeking to Defeat a Book Banner Where It Counts—at the Ballot Box
With schools and libraries under increasing political pressure, Kathy Zappitello, director of the Conneaut Public Library and the 2022 President of the Association of Rural and Small Libraries, is standing up by standing for public office.
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Biden Administration Announces Historic Open Access Policy for Taxpayer-Funded Research
The culmination of a 20-year advocacy effort, the new policy will finally make taxpayer-funded research available to the public without cost or delay.
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