Prodemocracy books disappear from Hong Kong libraries

Jan van der Made writes: “Books written by prominent Hong Kong democracy activists have disappeared from the shelves of the territory’s public libraries. The books are ‘under review’ in another sign that Beijing is stepping up censorship and curbing free expression in the city. The move comes just days after Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the territory.”

RFI, July 5

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Jonah Aragon writes: “There is a growing sentiment that the US shouldn’t be relied upon for the technologies that many people and businesses use every day. At Privacy Guides, we generally value technical guarantees over matters like jurisdiction. There is simply no alternative to privacy technologies like strong end-to-end encryption when it comes to protecting your information. Tools from the European Union (EU) also generally benefit from much stronger data protection laws, thanks to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of our favorites.”

Privacy Guides, Mar. 19
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Hannah Fingerhut writes: “Iowa cannot, for now, continue to enforce part of its book ban law, US District Judge Stephen Locher said March 25. The decision temporarily blocks the part of the law that prohibits school libraries and classrooms from carrying books that depict sex acts. In his decision, Locher stated that the unconstitutional applications of the book restrictions ‘far exceed’ the constitutional applications ‘under both legal standards the Court believes are applicable.’ Expecting an appeal, Locher included an alternative standard through which the restrictions could be considered constitutional, but added he does not believe it should be applied in this case.”

Associated Press, Mar. 25; May 26, 2023
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Kim Chandler writes: “The Alabama Public Library Service Board of Trustees voted Thursday to withhold state funding from the Fairhope Public Library after complaints from conservative parents about books in the teen section. Board Chairman John Wahl, who is also the chair of the Alabama Republican Party, said board members believe the Fairhope library is in violation of state policies to protect children from inappropriate materials. The books cited by the upset parents included Sold, a National Book Award finalist about a girl who is sold into sexual slavery in India. Read Freely Alabama has started a fundraiser to try to replace the $42,000 in state funding.”

Associated Press, Mar. 21
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Christine Park writes: “In 1985, anthropologist James C. Scott published Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance, illustrating the ‘prosaic but constant struggle’ of Malaysian villagers indirectly dissenting against the power holders. Since January of this year, there have been seemingly unending and concentrated attacks on [redacted] policies as the new administration has made it a cornerstone of its agenda to combat ‘wokeness’ in America. But it’s fitting to utilize the tools that we have, and not comply in advance. For example, instead of removing any mention of [redacted], we can use visual tools to highlight the absurd and pervasive assault on our First Amendment rights.”

RIPS Law Librarian Blog, Mar. 20
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Megan Nigh writes: “Getting books into your library is one half of the equation, but the other half is getting them into the hands of your teens. Handselling can be effective, but we can’t always be there for every teen looking for their next read. So how do we engage and entice teens to pick up a book? Check out some ideas [including special teen displays, on-shelf recommendations, and light-hearted gimmicks] that worked for us!”

Young Adult Library Services Association: The Hub, Mar. 21
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ALA sent a letter March 20 to Keith E. Sonderling, the new acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), warning him not to cut library programs required by federal law. The letter was sent in response to President Trump’s March 14 executive order, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” which calls for IMLS’s elimination. Outlining the Congressional mandate of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018, which was signed by President Trump, ALA urged Sonderling to follow provisions of the MLSA and avoid violating federal law. Additionally, the National Museum and Library Services Board sent Sonderling a letter outlining IMLS’s statutory obligations.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 20; Publishers Weekly, Mar. 24
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Peter McCabe and Anna Mehler Paperny write: “US authorities said March 21 they are closing Canadian access to a library straddling the Canada-US border. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is located between the towns of Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. The library’s entrance is on the Vermont side. Previously, Canadian visitors were able to enter using the sidewalk and entrance on the American side. Under the new rules, Canadians would need to go through a formal border crossing before entering the library.” The Department of Homeland Security told Reuters the move was in response to drug trafficking, but provided no evidence of such activity.

Reuters, Mar. 21

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