“I was trying to pierce through with the light to understand what was being hidden from me,” Helmick said. “Because subsequently, for many decades, I was the result of what to think versus how to think, and that ideas should not be engaged with because they could be dangerous.” With intertwining milestone anniversaries—the nation’s 250th … Continue reading Joy as an Act of Resistance
Prior to joining ALA, Lamdan was a librarian and law professor at City University of New York School of Law, where her research focused on information access, privacy, and other legal issues related to librarianship. She is author of two books, most recently Data Cartels (Stanford University Press, 2022), which looks at privacy and access … Continue reading 11 Questions: Sarah Lamdan
Policy issues and legalities aside, what I find concerning are the abusive communication and behavior patterns I see being used by many who attempt to challenge books, ban books, and “protect children.” Here are the patterns I have pointed out to my staff: Character assassination. This includes smear campaigns designed to intimidate and destroy the … Continue reading Fighting Words
Uncertainty may be the most notable overarching theme of federal policy in the past year. Legal challenges and other acts of resistance by librarians have prevented, overturned, or at least delayed some of the administration’s most notable attacks on libraries from taking effect. In other cases, policy changes have been announced that may affect libraries … Continue reading One Year of the Trump Administration
Freedom to read faces federal scrutiny Following the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the US Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books deemed DEI-related from its Nimitz Library (later returning most of them to circulation). Meanwhile, in April, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case brought by … Continue reading 2025 Year in Review
I am a school librarian. My community supports the school library, and students are active library users. At the same time, rhetoric from that legislative session and in the years since have shown me that the public has limited knowledge about how we choose books and select programming to make the library a place students … Continue reading Walk with a Purpose
As I write this, still in my early weeks at the Association, I’ve been asked often about my own priorities for ALA. Well, my primary goal is this: to support us in achieving the vision outlined in the ALA Forward initiative. This includes ensuring ALA’s financial stability, fostering membership trust and growth, and bolstering advocacy. … Continue reading Reinvigorating ALA
New Zealand Two locations of Thames-Coromandel District Libraries closed temporarily on November 19 because of concerns that play sand used in crafts at the library may have been contaminated with asbestos, Radio New Zealand reported. Multiple brands of play sand have been recalled, and investigations are ongoing, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation, … Continue reading Global Reach: Anime Site Banned in Russia
Neither of my parents went to college, but I am fortunate that they read constantly and took me and my siblings to the library every week. No vacation began without a trip to the bookstore or library to stock up—everything from comic books to Robert Louis Stevenson (I still have my hardcover Treasure Island from … Continue reading Ready to Go
“There’s a reason [for the lyrics of] ‘Bulls on Parade’ by Rage Against the Machine: ‘They don’t gotta burn the books / They just remove ’em.’ That’s what authoritarian regimes always do. Libraries and books are always the first step, along with picking out marginalized and oppressed communities. We have to point it out … Continue reading Noted and Quoted: Intellectual Freedom
“A core front in the culture wars is: What does it mean to be a full human being under the age of 18?” says Emily Knox, interim dean and professor at the School of Information Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a board member of the nonprofit National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). “We’re in … Continue reading The Next Generation of Activists
Her efforts drew significant attention, and this past May she received an honorable mention from the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards, which recognizes local high school seniors for service projects. This summer, she participated in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech (SAS) Leadership Program, joining a nationwide network of young people fighting … Continue reading Newsmaker: Iris Mogul
