ACLU sues over military school library censorship

US Marine Corps Col. Michael L. Brooks reads to second graders at Crossroads Elementary School at Marine Corps Base Quantico in 2023. Rebecca Kheel writes: “A dozen students at Defense Department grade schools across the globe are suing the department after books were removed from libraries, school yearbooks were allegedly censored, and class curriculums were sanitized to implement President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity and anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders. Alleging First Amendment violations, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit April 15 against the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Pentagon on behalf of 12 students in pre-K through 11th grade from six military families who attend schools on bases in Virginia, Kentucky, Italy and Japan. Trump administration book bans at Pentagon institutions have not been isolated to the DoDEA. The Naval Academy recently pulled nearly 400 books from its libraries, and the Associated Press reported that the libraries at West Point and the Air Force Academy have also been directed to review their collections for any books to remove.

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Gavin Damore writes: “As you’re busy planning for your various programming and activities to keep kids and tweens engaged during school break, be sure to check out the Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) 2025 Summer Reading Lists. Every year, ALSC’s Quicklists Consulting Committee compiles and annotates these lists. They provide an easy way to share recommended reads with parents and caregivers during the busiest time of year. We know that summer reading programming and recommendations aren’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why the committee compiles four summer reading lists based on age group.”

ALSC Blog, May 12
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Brittany Allen writes: “On May 8, 1925, one of the country’s largest collections of Black arts, literature, and history was born out of a Harlem brownstone. Now called the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in honor of the late curator, Arturo Schomburg, this branch of the New York Public Library is home to a staggering archive. So it’s only fitting that the library observe its centennial in style.” The year-long celebration includes a major exhibition, a series of programs, a limited edition library card, and more. The exhibition opening included several fireside chats featuring Director Joy Bivins, current and former Schomburg staff, and noted authors.

Lit Hub, May 7; New York Public Library, Apr. 22; Schomburg Research Center, May 8
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Elissa Malespina writes: “Something big just happened—and not enough people are talking about it. The US Copyright Office has released a sweeping three-part report series on artificial intelligence (AI), covering everything from deepfakes to AI-generated content to whether AI companies can legally use copyrighted materials to train their models. It’s the most important government action we’ve seen yet on AI and copyright—and it directly affects educators, librarians, students, and creators. Let’s unpack what this report says—and why the sudden dismissal of Copyright Office Head Shira Perlmutter matters more than ever.”

The AI School Librarian, May 13; US Copyright Office, May 9
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Becky Spratford writes: “Everyone is interested in the conclave right now, no matter what their religion. And they are going to stay that way [even after the new Pope was elected]. This will have a long tail of interest. Keep the displays up until books are not being checked out. Many of these are great backlist titles that deserve a moment to shine on your displays. And you need these displays up to show readers that you know they are interested in the topic but appreciate that they may not have made it in during the actual conclave itself.”

RA for All, May 8
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Matt Witkos and Kallista Cory write: “Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, Michigan, gained national attention for facing tension over books featuring LGBTQ+ topics. And it faced potential closure because of a lack of funding. It took three separate millage votes for funding to finally be renewed. Now the local community spot is closed” temporarily after five of eight staff members resigned last week. “The five shared with FOX 17 that they felt limited by the board in doing the jobs they were hired to do.” The majority of residents who attended the library’s board meeting May 12 expressed support for the staff.

WXMI-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), May 9, May 13; Holland (Mich.) Sentinel, Nov. 8, 2023
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Lolita C. Baldor writes: “The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on May 9. It follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries at the military academies [and schools]. The memo says that educational materials at the libraries ‘promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are incompatible with the department’s core mission.’ By May 21, the memo says, additional guidance will be provided on how to cull that initial list.”

Associated Press, May 9; Apr. 1; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office and American Association of School Librarians, Feb. 14
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Anne Ford writes: “With total earnings of $426,600, Adriana Harmeyer, archives and special collections assistant professor and archivist for university history at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is the winningest library professional ever to have appeared on Jeopardy! On May 14, she seeks to further cement that title, as she aims for the quarterfinals of the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters Tournament. Harmeyer—who holds the 11th longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the Masters.”

American Libraries Trend, May 12

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