Book Banning Board Members, Budgets, and More Library News

All of the news library workers can use.

Katie McLain Horner Sep 13, 2024

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Katie McLain Horner

Contributing Editor

Katie's parents never told her "no" when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she's not at work, she's at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves. Twitter: @kt_librarylady

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If you want a breather from political updates, here’s a list of library and censorship news from the last week. (Is that considered a breather? All I can say is that there is nary a mention of the presidential debate in this list!)

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The Internet Archive has lost its court appeal.

The Rahway Public Library (NJ) announced immediate reductions to their operating hours, and it has eliminated all programming, material purchasing, and digital resources, leading the mayor to openly criticize library officials. The whole situation sounds like a mess.

Visits are up at Winnipeg public libraries, but so are security incidents.

Cool Library Updates

Aroostook County (ME) libraries saw a surge in teen summer readers this year.

Celebrating 30 years of the Kansas City Public Library’s Books-to-Go program, which provides free books to local children.

Book Adaptations in the News

Disney has paused its adaptation of The Graveyard Book in light of the sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman, and Amazon has paused production on Good Omens.

Clémence Michallon’s The Quiet Tenant is being adapted for TV.

Here’s the trailer for The Perfect Couple, based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand.

And here’s the new trailer for The Nickel Boys.

Censorship News

Stephen King apparently has discovered the impact of book bans 4 years later.

Independent publishers fight back against book bans.

Publishers file an additional amicus brief supporting the First Amendment rights of Llano County (TX) library patrons in a full court rehearing of Little vs. Llano County.

“The State Board of Education will hold public hearings this month over a proposed curriculum for Texas public schools that includes Christian-based religious references in K-5 education. The proposal faced some criticism from the public since it was unveiled by the Texas Education Agency in May. The plan includes a financial incentive of at least $40 per student for school districts that adopt the proposed curriculum.” I wish I were kidding about the financial incentive.

A Northeast Dallas library recommended for closure amid city budget cuts will now likely stay open after community members banded together in support for the library.

“As legal challenges to book removals continue to mount, attorneys on Wednesday sparred in federal court about whether Escambia County School Board [FL] members should be forced to testify about a decision to bar the children’s book And Tango Makes Three from school libraries.”

The Lee County School Board (FL) is looking to ban anything in email signatures that isn’t a name or an educational affiliation, as well as the use of “personal items” in the classroom. Earlier in the year, a teacher was asked to remove a banner that says “Hate Has No Home Here,” which depicted “a peace symbol, a heart, a gay-rights symbol as well as the words, ‘Black Lives Matter.’”

Orchard Park (NY) students are taking book bans into their own hands.

Lehighton Area School District (PA) board member (and current member of Moms for Liberty) wants to restrict access to LGBTQ+ books.

The South Carolina mom who challenged 93 books in a single day (!!!) is now running for school board.

An author from Columbia, South Carolina published a graphic novel called We Survived the Holocaust, which tells the story of Columbia Holocaust survivors Bluma and Felix Goldberg, but several of the local school districts refuse to use the book in their curriculum due to concern over graphic content. The author said, “‘The Holocaust involved much more graphic images and photographs than what we’ve illustrated in our book.’”

Twenty books have been removed from Cobb County schools (GA) but the superintendent says that they’re not engaging in book banning.

The New York Times sits down with Louisiana school librarian Amanda Jones: “The hate level and the vitriol is unreal.”

“A proposal to almost halve the budget of [Garland County Library] will most likely not appear on the ballot for voters in November.” This is in Arkansas.

“More than a year ago, the Christian County Commission [MO] changed the way new members are appointed to the Christian County Library Board of Trustees. Now, the library is at a pivotal point as a group of new board members explores labeling books that contain LGBTQ material and overhauling the library’s software system.”

Citizens voice concerns about the new book-banning member of the Nebraska Library Commission.

The Bismarck Library (ND) discusses how it has adapted to the state book review law one year later.

“The Campbell County Public Library Board [WY] voted last week to move another book out of the recently-created new adult section and into a parenting collection.” The newly-created “new adult” section means literally nothing, and this is why library boards shouldn’t be making decisions about where books should be shelved.

Even though they could, Utah’s Educational Board will not overturn public school book bans.

(Paywalled): Utah conservatives celebrate book bans, and call on authors to repent.

A Tillamook (OR) resident calls for the school district to reverse its decision to remove How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.

How a proposed California law could end book bans in public libraries.

“Fitzhugh Lee is not a book banner. He wants to make this clear. But he’s very concerned about the content of some of the books at the Coronado High School and Coronado Middle School libraries and he’s spent the last six months researching the topic.” Specifically, he’s been using BookLooks to explain why certain books shouldn’t be in schools, which to me looks, sounds, and smells like a book banner. Oh, and he’s running for the school board.

Books & Authors in the News

Reese Witherspoon selects The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl as her 100th book club pick. (Fun fact — Margaret Renkl was Reese Witherspoon’s high school English teacher!)