Judge rules Arkansas book-banning law unconstitutional

The US District Court for the Western District of Arkansas declared Arkansas Act 372 unconstitutional December 23 in an opinion indicating that the law is overbroad and void for vagueness. The law would have subjected librarians and bookstore owners to criminal prosecution for making materials available on library and bookstore shelves that could be deemed harmful to younger minors, and mandated a procedure in public libraries whereby individuals may challenge books based on “appropriateness” (an undefined term). The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition that included Arkansas libraries, ALA’s Freedom to Read Foundation, authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and readers. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said he will appeal the ruling.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Dec. 23; Associated Press, Dec. 23

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Chris Gillespie writes: “Using ChatGPT to gather data can save you a significant amount of time. But the accuracy and reliability of the results depend heavily on the quality of the information the model uses. The good news is you can use a few strategies to force ChatGPT to provide responses based only on high-quality sources.” Recommended techniques include defining the source type, giving specific instructions, and asking for recent data only.

MakeUseOf, Jan. 11
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On January 13, the ALA Executive Board released a statement describing what library professionals can do to support communities affected by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. To date, at least 24 people have died, and more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed, including Los Angeles Public Library’s Palisades branch, according to news reports. The full statement encourages those who wish to help to donate to local relief efforts and the ALA Disaster Relief Fund, volunteer for local libraries and organizations mobilizing to assist those in need, and advocate for policies and funding to help libraries continue critical work during and after disasters.

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 13
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ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table is now accepting applications for the “Game On!” grant, which provides $2,000 to help a library or libraries develop gaming programs or collections for their communities. The grant has doubled in size since 2024 thanks to a $1,000 donation match from Cards Against Humanity, whose support will continue through 2029. The application deadline is March 10, and the winner or winners will be announced at GameRT’s “ALA Play” event at ALA’s 2025 Annual Conference this June in Philadelphia.

ALA Games & Gaming Round Table, Jan. 12
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Jackie Partch writes: “Graphic novels are wildly popular with kids—and librarians also know that they can help build visual literacy skills, increase reading confidence and strengthen vocabulary knowledge. Kids who read graphic novels also show increased reading motivation. So why not offer a graphic novel book group at your library? [At our system,] librarians who want to offer a Graphic Novel Club participate in a planning session each summer. We brainstorm a list of potential titles beforehand, and during the session we narrow down that list to 12–14 titles and divide them up to write short book talks.”

ALSC Blog, Jan. 9
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Emily Jaeger-McEnroe writes: “Many information evaluation methods include values like objectivity and authority that imply that only traditional scholarly sources are acceptable for inclusion in scholarly work. Although this is often a desirable outcome, it can bias research to exclude groups traditionally disenfranchised from scholarship, such as Indigenous, racialized, queer, and disabled communities. The CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) test, originally created in 2004, is a commonly taught method of source evaluation. This article presents a few simple modifications to the CRAAP test that provide a means to evaluate marginalized information and prevent its exclusion.”

College & Research Libraries News, Jan.
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Kelly Jensen writes: “One of the trends we’ll see in book censorship in 2025 is the increased use of unprofessional, politically driven book review websites like BookLooks to make decisions in professional library and educational settings. BookLooks is the most well-known website for unprofessional, biased book reviews. That’s because it is a tool created by a former Moms for Liberty member and continues to be the tool they put their weight, energy, and time behind. But if your knowledge ends there, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Book Riot, Jan. 10
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Peter Hepburn writes: “When I look back at previous columns and reflect on my term as treasurer, which ends June 30, I realize just how much has happened—and been accomplished—over the past three years. For one, I’m proud of finishing the work started under my predecessor, Maggie Farrell, on the financial piece of the ALA Operating Agreement, which governs the relationship between ALA and its membership divisions. I’m also pleased with the progress made in improving communication within the Association on finances. I am not, however, greatly encouraged by the current financial health of the Association.”

American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.

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