Censorship

Readers clap back on censorship and more.

The nine picture books cited in Mahmoud v. Taylor are not pornography. Nor are they obscene. What is obscene is a Supreme Court decision that denies the basic humanity and equality of LGBTQIA+ people.

Lavonnia Moore lost her job after including the Kyle Lukoff book in a summer reading display at the request of a young patron; new law gives school boards in Texas authority over collection development; Ohio governor vetoed bill that would have restricted public library access to titles "related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression."

Eager attendees packed a much anticipated screening at the American Library Association Annual conference in Philadelphia. With the filmmakers and titular subjects on hand, it was an emotional experience of The Librarians, which examines the national crisis of censorship and the heroic professionals on the front lines of defending intellectual freedom.

Freedom to read advocates ask Florida legislators to probe books removed without review in Florida; an audit finds Utah school librarians preemptively removed titles in fear; and more of the latest in censorship news.

Even a so-called "narrow" ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor would undermine the First Amendment and access to diverse viewpoints in public education and lay the groundwork for even more serious ramifications, a Georgetown law professor explains.

After public outcry, most of the 381 books removed from the Naval Academy are back; Texas legislation sends bill to governor that requires school boards or "advisory councils" to approve every new library book and review complaints; and Alabama Public Library board praises precedent set by Fifth Circuit decision in Little vs. Llano County.

The National Coalition Against Censorship is launching a new Teen Advocacy Institute over the summer; a read-in is scheduled during ALA Annual to support the push for librarians in Philly schools; the lawsuit against Lucy Calkins is dismissed; and more in this edition of News Bites.

EveryLibrary responds to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' Little v. Llano County decision, which will allow the government to remove or restrict access to books from public library shelves.