Iowa bill would ban partnerships between schools and public libraries

Two figures placing a jigsaw puzzle piece

Maya Marchel Hoff writes: “Iowa public and charter schools would not be able to enter into agreements with public libraries providing students with access to books and other materials, under a bill advanced by Iowa lawmakers February 4. The legislation, House Study Bill 636, was advanced by the Iowa House Education Committee, 14–9. It is the latest effort by Republicans in the legislature to limit children’s access to content and materials they view as obscene.” ALA President Sam Helmick and 10 other people testified against the bill, while two spoke in support.

The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Feb. 4

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Lorenzo Tondo writes: “Firefighters in Sicily have rescued about 400 rare books from the private Angelo Marsiano library in Niscemi that hangs on the edge of a mudflow, after a devastating landslide in January tore away an entire slope of the town. The library stands on the lip of the precipice gouged out by the landslide, with part of the building in effect hanging in mid-air. The library holds about 4,000 books of literature, history, and general nonfiction, including a number of rare editions dating from before 1830 on Sicilian history.”

The Guardian, Feb. 27; Italian Library Association, Feb. 5
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Anne Cantrell writes: “As libraries grapple with how to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in responsible and ethical ways, Montana State University Library researchers are offering a new, free resource to help those institutions make decisions about AI that align with their values. Viewfinder is a new toolkit designed to support librarians, researchers, and others as they consider whether and how to implement AI tools in their libraries and archives. The toolkit invites users to identify stakeholders and consider which values are of concern.”

Montana State University, Feb. 23
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“Over the past few weeks, Iran has once again moved to the forefront of international attention. With events moving quickly and several policy strands converging at once, having clear and reliable reference points is essential. To support colleagues following these developments, the European Council Library has prepared a dedicated library guide on Iran. It brings together key European Union (EU) documents, background material, books and articles, media sources, and external analysis in one structured place—helping to connect immediate decisions with the wider framework of EU-Iran relations.”

European Council Library, Mar. 2
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Kelly Jensen writes: “Utah has added four more books to its list of titles banned from every public school in the state: Breathless by Jennifer Niven, The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley, The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood and illustrated by Renee Nault, and Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold. That brings the total to 27 books banned statewide under H.B. 29, which bans books from all public schools in the state if those books have been deemed ‘objective sensitive material’ or ‘pornographic’ in at least three public school districts or two public and five charter schools statewide.”

Book Riot, Mar. 3
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Dianndra Roberts, Valarie Guagnini, and Devyani Mahajan write: “The implementation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace attempts to right historic wrongs. For years, organizations have mistaken ‘niceness’ with kindness. They say the right things, yet often lack the action, accountability, and structural commitment needed. Instead, they rely on people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, and especially women to push the work forward without meaningful support, especially from those in power. Organizations must break the pattern of looking to the most impacted people to protect them from criticism, explain the issues, or lead the healing.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Feb. 25
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ALA is seeking volunteers for two ALA Endowment Trustee positions. Trustees serve a three-year term and are eligible to be reappointed for one additional three-year term. Applications are due March 31; a preview of the application is available for preparation. Applications will be reviewed by the ALA Endowment Trustees, who make recommendations to the ALA Executive Board, which will make its selection at its Spring Meeting. The successful applicants’ terms will begin after the ALA’s 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago, and will end after the 2029 Annual Conference.

ALA Governance Office, Mar. 2
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George Eberhart writes: “On June 24, 2018, ALA Council passed a historic resolution that ‘apologizes to African Americans for wrongs committed against them in segregated public libraries’ and commends those ‘who risked their lives to integrate public libraries for their bravery and courage in challenging segregation in public libraries and in forcing public libraries to live up to the rhetoric of their ideals.’ Then-ALA President Jim Neal read the resolution later that day to an audience at the main New Orleans Public Library accompanied by four individuals who participated in sit-ins and protests at libraries in the South during the 1960s.”

ALA150, Mar. 2; Birmingham Public Library, June 25, 2018

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