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Kelly Jensen writes: “This fall marks the start of year six of relentless book bans. The Five Year Report aims to not only explore the trends and themes of book censorship in the 2020s. It also puts the voices of those on the ground at the forefront. The Five Year Report is a collaborative project from ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, Book Riot, and the Florida Freedom to Read Project. The insights here underscore the vital need for those who champion the right to read to show up in their own communities.”
Book Riot, Sept. 18
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Renee Kitson writes: “A board book has a pretty clear job. Open it. Read it. Turn the pages. And, if you’re a toddler, perhaps taste a corner. Eventually, some of those much-loved books reach the end of their library lives. The book is withdrawn and headed for the discard pile. Except sometimes I look at those thick, colorful pages and think: What else could this be? Finding ways to reuse board books has become one of my favorite creative challenges, because a board book that can’t be a library book anymore can still become quite a lot of things.”
ALSC Blog, Sept. 21
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Award-winning authors and free expression advocates Bess Kalb (Buffalo Fluffalo series) and Tony Weaver, Jr. (Weirdo), have been named honorary chairs for Banned Books Week 2026, to be observed October 4–10 with the theme “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” They will be joined by youth honorary chairs Marshall Romero and Azeemah Sadiq, two passionate student advocacy leaders for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas. Since 1982, Banned Books Week has enlightened the public about attempts to censor books in libraries, schools, and bookstores.
ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Sept. 16
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Rino Landa writes: “After serving its community for nearly 45 years in the same building, Escondido (Calif.) Public Library closed in April 2025 for an $11.6 million renovation. It was important to us, as the city’s lone library, to preserve access during construction. So one month later, our library opened a temporary location in a very different kind of facility: the nearby North County Mall, where services and collections were spread across six storefronts, including a former Abercrombie & Fitch clothing store.”
American Libraries column, Fall
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Terra Dankowski writes: “Min Jin Lee has notched career milestones that few authors reach. Her immigration saga Pachinko was both a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Top 10 Best Book of 2017. Lee is also a Guggenheim fellow and the first Korean American to hold the role of New York State author laureate. Her latest title, American Hagwon (Cardinal, September), examines the influence of Korean ‘cram schools’ among families in the Korean diaspora. American Libraries spoke with Lee about her new book, the library that shaped her, and her antidote to book bans.”
American Libraries Trend, Fall
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Courtney Mares writes: “Pope Leo XIV visited the Vatican Library for the first time as pope on his birthday, September 14, and announced plans for the construction of a new modern building in Vatican City to house the holdings of the library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive. The pope said it seemed providential to celebrate his 71st birthday at the Vatican Library because his mother was a librarian.”
OSV News, Sept. 14
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Liz Parker writes: “It’s officially Practical Magic season! If you grew up watching the 1998 film, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as descendants of a long line of powerful witches, you’ll know that the long-awaited sequel hit theaters on September 10, so what better time for a witchy reading list? Whether you’re a witch yourself or you simply love the special magic that autumn conjures up each year, this article is for you.”
Reactor, Sept. 9
