A framework for educators resisting book bans

Teens selecting books in a library Daniel Liou and Kelly Deits Cutler write: “Books written by and about women and people of color are disproportionately targeted for complaints and removal. Due to mounting political pressures, harassment, and even death threats, some teachers and administrators have had to recalibrate their curriculum plans and determine if such texts will be viewed as unpatriotic, anti-police, pornographic, or anti-white. Through our research, we developed a critical inclusivity framework with five concurrent leadership practices to reclaim contested curriculum materials. This framework aims to prepare education leaders to handle ongoing book challenges and navigate the constant political pressures forcing schools to put curriculum about diversity, equity, inclusivity, and social justice on the back burner.”

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Feb. 1

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Daniel M. Rothschild writes: “Discussions of reading habits typically break down, at least in the first instance, along the binary of fiction and nonfiction. If you ask most people what they read, they’ll give you some version of ‘mostly fiction’ or ‘mostly nonfiction.’ I write today in praise of a third genre that few self-respecting intellectuals admit to reading regularly, though many do: the reference book. Real reference books are unpretentious, which is part of their charm. You as the reader can make them comply with the demands of your knowledge, intellect, and time constraints, not vice versa.”

Discourse, Aug. 30
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Kurt Schlosser writes: “All tech-enabled systems and services are back up and running at Seattle Public Library this week, roughly three months after a ransomware attack impaired services at the institution and its 27 branches across the city. Cybersecurity experts are praising some of the steps taken to protect against future attacks. The breach over Memorial Day weekend affected access to staff and public computers, online catalog and loaning systems, ebooks and e-audiobooks, in-building WiFi, the library website, and more.” The library said it will issue a public report later this year but it has revealed some steps taken to prevent future attacks.

GeekWire, Sept. 5; Seattle Public Library, Sept. 3
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Matt Hudson writes: “Great Falls (Mont.) Public Library Board of Trustees voted September 5 to approve a counter-proposal to a city plan to [cut seven mills of library funding that have been in place since 1993]. The board’s proposal would reduce funding by 2.5 mills, or about $300,000 annually.” The city had proposed reducing funding from seven to 3.5 mills for two years and eliminating it after that. This funding is separate from an increase approved by voters last year, but “library representatives have said that the 2023 campaign was based on keeping the seven mills in place.”

Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Sept. 8; American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb., 2024
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Caitlyn Byrd writes: “Last year, Angelina Davenport ignited a firestorm in Berkeley County (S.C.), launching a sweeping challenge that targeted 93 books in the district’s school libraries—all in a single day. Now, with an open school board seat up for grabs, Davenport is making her next move, complete with a campaign logo that features a stack of six books.” In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Terri Cunningham-Swanson, who was recalled from the Plattsmouth Community School District Board in January after she attempted to have more than 50 books removed from school libraries, to the Nebraska Library Commission.

Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.), Sept. 5; KOLN-TV (Lincoln, Neb.), Sept. 6
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Steve Tetreault writes: “Educators face more pressure and push-back than at any point I can recall. Decision-makers at the national, state, and local levels resist the idea of educators as trained professionals. Too many parents feel entitled to dictate every second of students’ lives, both in and out of the classroom. Even students exhibit widespread attitudes of disrespect and disdain for school. In short: Education is in a dark age. But within that darkness, there are points of light. We are each a star. And if we are willing to connect with others, we can create fabulous constellations.”

Knowledge Quest, Sept. 9
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“Choice and LibTech Insights have published a white paper that offers an innovative framework for AI literacy, developed by Sandy Hervieux and Amanda Wheatley, two librarians from McGill University in Montreal with extensive experience in artificial intelligence (AI) and librarianship (long before the wave of generative AI). ‘Building an AI Literacy Framework: Perspectives from Instruction Librarians and Current Information Literacy Tools’ integrates interviews with many librarians on the ground who are teaching AI and AI literacy to highlight the shortcomings of current models and the needs a new one must address.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Sept. 4
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Betsy Gomez writes: “Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay has been named honorary chair for Banned Books Week 2024, which takes place September 22–28. DuVernay will be joined by youth honorary chair Julia Garnett, a student activist who fought book bans in her home state of Tennessee. A staunch advocate for education and free expression, DuVernay directed two films inspired by frequently banned books: A Wrinkle in Time and Origin. Garnett has been honored for her advocacy for the freedom to read by First Lady Jill Biden and is a leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech program, educating other students about advocacy.”

Intellectual Freedom Blog, Sept. 6

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