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    Gavel (Photo: EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA/Pexels)Jeffrey S. Solochek writes: “US Judge Carlos Mendoza ruled against state efforts to restrict school books and materials that ‘describe sexual conduct,’ saying the standard was too broad and vague. The 2023 law has led to the removal of thousands of books from school libraries. The 50-page order, which is likely to be appealed, takes issue with several aspects of the government’s arguments,” including the ideas that curating library materials is government speech and that references to sexual conduct make a work “pornography.”

    Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 14

  • Latest Library Links

    • 2h

      Plain text.nickb writes: “There are not many computer file formats I would trust to still be readable 50 years from now, but plain text is one of them. That may sound like faint praise. A text file cannot embed a spreadsheet, preserve elaborate page layouts, run a presentation, or provide many of the conveniences we expect from modern applications. What it does instead is store text in one of the simplest and most widely understood forms in computing, and that simplicity is a large part of why it has lasted.”

      Dead Parrot BBS, Oct. 4

    • 4h

      Anne Carson.Jill Lawless, Hillel Italie, and Kostya Manenkov write: “Canadian poet, essayist, and translator Anne Carson won the Nobel Prize in literature October 8 for ‘bold and inventive’ works that fuse the classical and the modern and blur the boundaries of poetry and prose. The Toronto-born Carson, 76, has drawn on themes from classical Greek and Roman literature, modern influences, and personal experience for genre-blending titles that have ranged from translations of ancient Greek poets to collaborations with dancers and musicians, including Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed.”

      Associated Press, Oct. 8

    • 20h

      Library newsroom at Brooklyn Public Library's Sunset Park branchNathalie op de Beeck writes: “At a time when media consolidation is decimating local news organizations, journalist and civic strategist Terry Parris Jr. believes that libraries—and specifically, library patrons—may offer a solution. In 2024, Parris founded the Library Newsroom Project to combat the small-town media deserts he saw arising across the country. Now, he’s bringing LNP pilots to Miami-Dade Public Library, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair (N.J.) State University, and Boston Public Library, with additional sites in development.”

      Publishers Weekly, Oct. 2

    • 1d

      Bookshelves.Becky Siegel Spratford writes: “Every year as big book award nominees are announced, people have opinions and complaints. This year everything came to a public head when New York Times opinion writer Bret Stephens wrote ‘The Literary World’s DEI Checklist’ about the National Book Award nominees. With all disrespect to his faulty logic, juries tend to be made of previous nominees and winners. Women, people of color, and queer people have slowly been added to those ranks, and when their turn comes up to be a juror, they bring their perspective and reading preferences with them.”

      RA For All, Oct. 7

    • 1d

      Microphone in front of seatsElissa Malespina writes: “On October 9, Moms for Liberty announced a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered program that the organization says monitors school board agendas across more than 13,000 districts nationwide. The tool reportedly checks agendas every 12 hours, flagging issues involving curriculum, diversity and equity policies, gender identity, and other topics. The goal is to alert members before school boards vote so they have time to respond. What concerns me is not that someone is reading school board agendas, but who is operating this technology, what the organization has already done in public education, and how AI could expand those efforts.”

      The AI School Librarian, Oct. 13

    • 2d

      National Library Legislative Day logoALA and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies have opened registration for National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) 2027. Hundreds of library advocates from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C., February 24–25, 2027, to make the case for federal support of libraries of all types. The event will open with an afternoon briefing on February 24 that includes education, advocacy training, and networking activities, followed by a day of meetings with federal legislators on February 25. The deadline to register is November 25, and capacity is limited.

      ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Oct. 7

    • 2d

      The State of US Academic LibrareisGena Parsons-Diamond writes: “The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has published The State of US Academic Libraries: Findings from the ACRL 2025 Annual Survey. The annual Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey gathers critical information about academic library staff, expenditures, collections, circulation, and information services. The data helps staffers and administrators evaluate library performance over time and make peer comparisons. It can also help articulate the value of academic libraries and their impact on higher education, demonstrating the core services libraries provide and the resources needed to support institutional missions.

      ACRL Insider, Oct. 13

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