Tennessee county removes Roots from school libraries

Part of the cover of Roots Matt Hollingsworth writes: “Alex Haley’s book Roots is included in an updated list of book titles to be removed from Knox County (Tenn.) Schools libraries. The schools previously removed other books from shelves due to the Age-Appropriate Materials Act including Water for Elephants, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and A Clockwork Orange. The state passed the Age Appropriate Materials Act in 2022, requiring schools to have a list of materials in their libraries and to have a policy for reviewing them for age appropriateness.” Roots is one of Tennessee’s state books, and members of the county Board of Education have pushed back against the removal.

WATE-TV (Knoxville), May 14; May 22, 2025; Aug. 30, 2022; WKRN-TV (Nashville), Mar. 29, 2024; WBIR-TV (Knoxville), May 18

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David Nield writes: “More than 30 years after Adobe came up with it, the PDF file remains essential for archiving, sharing, and publishing. It’s no surprise that commercial PDF software tools are in high demand. But you don’t necessarily have to pay to process these documents, especially for basic editing operations. A host of PDF tools are available on the web that will let you quickly and easily manipulate your documents for free (with more advanced features and usage limits available for a price).”

Wired, June 2
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Roxy Van Ruiten and Darcy Ramirez write: “A display inside San Antonio’s Central Library is turning the city’s love for the Spurs NBA team into a celebration of reading, and it’s now getting national attention. San Antonio Public Library’s ‘Read Like Wemby’ display, inspired by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama’s well-known love of books, was recently featured in The New York Times. Staff said visitors are stopping to snap photos with the display, which highlights books connected to Wembanyama and his reading habits.”

KENS-TV (San Antonio), May 28
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John Cox writes: “A clear identity matters for libraries. It explains what the library is, what it does and why, as well as who can benefit from what it provides. Crucially, it makes it as easy as possible for everyone to understand its offering and its value. Without that clarity, institutional leaders, decision-makers, and other stakeholders can overlook the library. Students and academics may turn elsewhere, the library suffers from lower visibility and less recognition, its contributions are underestimated, it loses its competitiveness in the fight for resources, and it struggles to advance its position within the institution.”

Times Higher Education, May 25
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As part of ALA’s 2026 sesquicentennial, the Association is launching a comprehensive fundraising campaign, “For Our Libraries. For 150 Years More.” The $60 million campaign goal represents the most ambitious philanthropic initiative in ALA’s history and reflects a long-term investment in libraries, library workers, literacy, intellectual freedom, and equitable access to information. Key action areas for the campaign include advancing the library profession, advocacy, equitable access to information, and intellectual freedom. The campaign extends through December 31, 2027.

ALA Communications & Media Relations Office, June 3
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College & Research Libraries News, vol. 87, no. 6, June
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ALA has partnered with NonProfit Vote as a partner for National Voter Registration Day, which will take place on September 15. ALA and the League of Women Voters will host a webinar July 15 at 3 p.m. Eastern that will highlight how the voter engagement landscape has changed in recent years, how local Leagues and libraries are evolving their collaborations in response, and how to contribute to increasing voter participation in 2026.

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