Public Libraries

Censorship continues to dominate news and reader attention on SLJ.com.

As book censorship efforts in the U.S. reach new heights, are you amplifying your Banned Books Week efforts or scaling back? Be part of our reporting.

Bigotry and threatened violence in her Idaho community led Delaney Daly to reconsider her dream job. The experience left her "confident and knowledgeable" to take the next step in her library career.  

A principal forbids students from talking about a challenged book; librarians question reading levels and defend unrestricted library access for children.

How to handle confrontational parents; a principal's reprimand; supporting LGBTQIA+–themed books; and more advice on challenges and censorship.

The letter, signed by 1,300 children's and YA authors and read into the record at a congressional hearing, spoke of the harm to kids from book censorship.

With the message "Open books, open doors," this beautiful poster by Rafael López is available to SLJ subscribers and here, as a download. Created by SLJ, supported by Penguin Random House, and in partnership with NCTE, NCAC, PEN America, FReadom, and Library Journal, the powerful image promoting free expression is also available as social graphics for sharing on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.    

Two New York City library systems are opening up their collections to readers across the country; YALSA needs a Pura Belpré award committee volunteer, LitUp writing fellowship is accepting applications, and more in this edition of News Bites.

Once again books with LGBTQIA+ characters and themes are the most challenged titles across the country.