Public Libraries

A settlement in the case against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law has clarified that library books cannot be removed under the law as long as they aren't part of the curriculum; queer publishers navigate book bans; Ohio district keeps two books on shelves; and more.

In 2023, the number of books targeted for censorship went up 65 percent from the year before, according to American Library Association data released today. The rise was most dramatic in public libraries, which saw a 92 percent increase in challenges.

Read about RuPaul's new online bookstore that has a colorful outreach plan, watch the 60 Minutes segment on book banning in South Carolina, stay up to date on proposed state legislation (the good and the bad), and more in Censorship News.

Leading our most viewed posts of the week, a deeply personal appreciation by SLJ’s Kimberly Fakih of the Sydney Taylor classic.  Meanwhile, our 2023 profile of Mychal Threets made the rounds, as the much-loved ambassador of libraries departed the Fairfield (CA) Civic Center Library March 1.  

District employees drew clothes on Maurice Sendak characters in one Florida district, while students, legislators, and library workers fight back against censorship in Virginia, Oregon, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

In Florida, governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for an adjustment to his law that created a mass of book challenges, as bills on both sides of the fight for intellectual freedom are debated in Oregon and Utah, while West Virginia and Georgia seek to strip librarians' legal protections.

A teacher fears students will select "unacceptable" library books.

The most viewed posts of the week. 

The interim library director in Lafayette, LA, lifted the ban on certain book displays; Florida county gets new, restrictive library cards for kids; legislation to change book review policies moves forward in Idaho and South Carolina; and more news.