SLJ Staff

The American Library Association offers a special fund for librarians whose jobs have been threatened or lost because they have fought against censorship; 'Olivia' author Ian Falconer dies at 63; Ezra Jack Keats Awards announced; and more in this edition of News Bites.

Amid harmful library legislation across the country, the Illinois secretary of state proposed a law that would punish schools and libraries that ban books. Meanwhile, news from Virginia, Ohio, Utah, and Arizona is not as book-positive.

Announcing the decision to appeal, Jones said she is "committed to going the distance and fighting for my right to a fair trial against those who have sought to destroy my good name."

Governor Ron DeSantis accuses critics of creating a false narrative around school book removal in Florida; parents want books pulled in Maine; and news from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Iowa.

Laurie Halse Anderson is the 2023 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award laureate; People includes Carolyn Foote and Becky Calzada on its list of "Women Changing the World," and more in this edition of News Bites.

A roundup of recent book challenge efforts and news on the fight for intellectual freedom from Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Missouri.

Presenting the 2022 average book prices, produced annually by SLJ in partnership with Follett and Baker & Taylor.

Applications open for ALA's annual "Game On" gaming grant program; LibraryPass announces more than one million checkouts in Comics Plus in 2022; 2023 Audie Awards finalists; and Lee & Low's New Voices Award winners in News Bites.

A roundup of recent book challenge efforts and the news on the fight for intellectual freedom from Florida to California.