Public Libraries

With rampant book banning in the U.S., the ILA has updated its guide, Advocating for Children's Right to Read, with action items for stakeholders, from teachers and school and public librarians, to administrators and policy makers.

The censorship-related legal battles continue as Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Club, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, The Authors Guild, Julia Alvarez, John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jodi Picoult, and Angie Thomas sue Florida; and the Department of Justice files a brief in support of the lawsuit against the Cobb County (GA) School District.

The Francis Howell School District in O'Fallon, MO, passed a new policy to allow the removal of certain books and restrict gender identity conversation. Meanwhile in Texas, one district is considering banning books about gender fluidity and another seeks to alter its policy after Advanced Placement titles are removed from libraries.

New Jersey school librarian Elissa Malespina outlines the steps for using AI to create social media posts for Banned Books Week and more.

A reader tries to make sense of book banning legislation and more.

Iowa schools will start the year without some books in the libraries and classrooms; titles removed from schools in Texas, Colorado, and Indiana; angry accusations and arguing over book banning mar Florida county school board meeting; judge orders Alaskan district to return books to the shelves.

Judy Blume's Forever and six titles from Sarah J. Maas are among the books removed from all Utah schools; group files lawsuit against Idaho library law; authors and educators write letter to Florida governor; and more.

The Grand Forks (ND) Public Library created a new YA section to respond to challenges on books about puberty; Idaho librarians discuss their practical response to the state's new materials law; a review committee is overruled in a Texas district; and more.

A bill to arrest librarians because of the content of books in the library failed to pass in Alabama, but a new, amended one is now filed for the next legislative session; Escambia County (FL) School Board wants to depose a seven-year-old in a banned books lawsuit; and a federal court will review its on decision in Llano County (TX) book removal case.