intellectual freedom Archives | Page 2 of 29 | American Libraries Magazine

From left: Filmmakers Trish Adlesic, Nazenet Habtezghi, and Sheila Nevins.

Newsmakers: Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi

By Megan Bennett | February 20, 2024

Adlesic is codirector and producer of The ABCs of Book Banning, a 2023 film that has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short category. Sheila Nevins, famed documentarian and current head of MTV Documentary Films, led the project, and journalist-turned-filmmaker Nazenet Habtezghi also codirected. American Libraries spoke with Adlesic and Habtezghi … Continue reading Newsmakers: Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi →

Newsmaker: Jesús Trejo

By Diana Panuncial | February 19, 2024

Its companion book, Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas (Minerva), will be released this September. American Libraries spoke with Trejo after his appearance at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore about his family, what fans can expect from his future work, and book bans. What role have libraries and librarians played in your life? … Continue reading Newsmaker: Jesús Trejo →

2024 LibLearnX Wrap-Up

By Alison Marcotte | February 5, 2024

Authors told inspiring stories and emphasized the importance of having open conversations. Presenters addressed the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), covering different ways librarians have started using the technology, as well as measuring its impact. Speakers tackled critical topics in the profession, including intellectual freedom, community engagement, and leadership and management. A different dialogue Opening … Continue reading 2024 LibLearnX Wrap-Up →

Preparing for Pushback

By Diana Panuncial | January 21, 2024

Goswami presented at “Be Prepared: Program Challenges at Your Public Library,” a January 21 session at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore. He was joined by Amanda Sand Vazquez, director of Dubuque County (Iowa) Library District and president of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT), and Betsy Gomez, assistant director of … Continue reading Preparing for Pushback →

Michele Norris (r) speaks with ALA President Emily Drabinski on stage at the 2024 LibLearnX Opening Session

Six Words, Countless Conversations

By Greg Landgraf | January 20, 2024

She started the Race Card Project with 200 postcards—printed at Kinko’s on her way to taking her kids to soccer practice—inviting whoever picked them up to share their thoughts on race, in exactly six words. She dropped them at a variety of venues while on a book tour. More than 500,000 personal narratives later, the … Continue reading Six Words, Countless Conversations →

2023 Year in Review

January 2, 2024

Another record year for book challenges Preliminary data from the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) through August 31 showed a 20% increase in reported book challenges for 2023—surpassing the record set in 2022. The data also showed an increase in challenges that targeted multiple titles, with libraries in 11 states receiving challenges that included 100 or … Continue reading 2023 Year in Review →

Farmers for Libraries sign in support of Columbia County Rural Library District

Referenda Roundup 2023: Campaign Stories

By Ryan Ireland | January 2, 2024

Overall, library measures across the US continue to pass at a high rate. However, in many communities, the discourse over what materials can be held in certain sections of their libraries has escalated to people introducing ballot measures seeking to defund, shut down, or weaken the library’s authority. Tried and true campaign messaging, like touting … Continue reading Referenda Roundup 2023: Campaign Stories →

Newsmaker: Ali Hazelwood

By Diana Panuncial | January 2, 2024

What is the inspiration behind your new book, Bride? Paranormal romance raised me. This book is very much an homage to Nalini Singh, J. R. Ward, Kresley Cole, and Christine Feehan. I read all their books when I was a teenager, and I love them so much. Most of their books have a nugget of … Continue reading Newsmaker: Ali Hazelwood →

Banned Books Week 2023: Let Freedom Read, featuring the Uncensored Library in Minecraft

Unbanned

By Greg Landgraf | October 3, 2023

Libraries and schools nationwide are working overtime to repel an unprecedented level of attacks on the freedom to read. Vigorous debate, advocacy, and coalition-building remain the backbone of the fight against book banning. But some libraries, groups, and individuals have recently taken innovative approaches to ensure information access for all. Books Unbanned is one of … Continue reading Unbanned →

Banned Books Week 2023: Let Freedom Read featuring Da'Taeveyon Daniels

Newsmaker: Da’Taeveyon Daniels

By Greg Landgraf | October 1, 2023

The 2023 Banned Books Week youth honorary chair spoke with American Libraries about the power of young activists, the importance of expressing identity authentically, and what gives him hope in challenging times. What does it mean to you to be chosen as the youth honorary chair of Banned Books Week, especially as the US is … Continue reading Newsmaker: Da’Taeveyon Daniels →

Banned Books Week 2023: Let Freedom Read featuring Books Unbanned program

By the Numbers: Banned Books Week 2023

By Megan Bennett | October 1, 2023

Banned Books Week takes place Oct. 1–7 1,269 Number of book challenges documented in 2022 by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). This is nearly double the number reported in 2021 and the highest number of book ban attempts since OIF started compiling this data more than 20 years ago. The 2022 … Continue reading By the Numbers: Banned Books Week 2023 →

Episode 87: Protecting the Right to Read

Call Number Podcast: Protecting the Right to Read

September 11, 2023

In Episode 87, Call Number looks at how libraries and library workers are on the front lines defending intellectual freedom. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Peter Coyl, immediate past president of the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and director and CEO of Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library. They … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Protecting the Right to Read →

Latest Library Links

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Isabela Weiss writes: “Hundreds of people on January 27 protested the termination of the Susquehanna County (Pa.) Library’s administrator and demanded for the protection of LGBTQ+ books. A majority argued that Administrator/Librarian Kristina Ely’s termination was a political move to enable library board members censor books they feel are inappropriate or offensive. On Dec. 16, the Board of Trustees of the Susquehanna County Historical Society and the Free Library Association laid off Ely by a 6–4 vote during an executive session. Their decision sent shockwaves through the board, as several members were absent that day due to illness.”

WVIA-TV (Pittston, Pa.), Jan. 28
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Jason Koebler writes: “[More than 2,000] datasets aggregated on data.gov, the largest repository of U.S. government open data on the internet, have disappeared since Donald Trump was inaugurated as president. Because data.gov is an aggregator that doesn’t always host the data itself, this doesn’t always mean that the data itself has been deleted. Archivists who have been working on analyzing the deletions and archiving the data it held say that while some of the deletions are surely malicious information scrubbing, some are likely routine artifacts of an administration change, and they are working to determine which is which.”

404 Media, Jan. 30
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Jon Brookin writes: “US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) announced a Congressional Review Act resolution January 27 that would nullify the hotspot rule issued by the Federal Communications Commission [allowing libraries and schools to use E-rate funds to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots for lending]. The FCC voted to adopt the rule in July 2024 under then-Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, saying it was needed to help kids without reliable Internet access complete their homework.” Cruz claimed the rule “undermines parental control” and “heightens the risk of censoring kids’ exposure to conservative viewpoints.”

Ars Technica, Jan. 28; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, July 18, 2024; US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Jan. 27
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The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities Section (LPD) is producing Guidelines for Inclusive Library Services for Persons with Print Disabilities. The Guidelines are designed to serve as a tool and a resource for libraries, librarians, and library staff, enabling them to begin to provide, continue to provide, or enhance existing accessible and inclusive library services for persons with print disabilities in their library communities. LPD is seeking feedback on the draft document by March 7.

IFLA, Jan. 31
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Heidi Yarger writes: “Memorizing poetry has allowed me to focus on the words in front of me, bit by bit, in profound ways. Much like aspects of librarianship, the process is iterative and reflexive. As I’m learning a new poem, I often find myself re-reciting the lines I’m trying to get down throughout the day in moments when I would’ve checked my phone. I must stay present and attentive to each word. I truly feel the process has been good for my health these last few months.”

ACRLog, Jan. 29
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“Sociologist, author, and New York University professor Eric Klinenberg believes that libraries are the greatest social infrastructure our country has. ‘I don’t know of another institution that has the capability to make such a diverse set of people feel dignified and welcome when they walk in the door,’ Klinenberg told attendees at the outset of United for Libraries Virtual, a three-day virtual conference hosted by United for Libraries July 30–August 1, 2024. American Libraries highlights some key takeaways from the conference.”

American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.
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Kali Jaye writes: “In 2019, the World Health Organization recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon, describing it as ‘a condition resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed.’ Burnout is what’s happening when you’re exhausted even though you sat at a desk all day, you’re starting to hate your job, and you’re wondering what’s wrong with you and why you can’t just get it together. So how can we, as individuals and organizations, best prevent and respond to burnout? The opposite of burnout, according to [psychology researcher Christina] Maslach and colleagues, is engagement.”

Scholarly Kitchen, Jan. 27; World Health Organization, May 28, 2019

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