Censorship news drew plenty of reader comments, mostly directed at “Book Ban Dan.” 

An Arkansas state senator, Dan Sullivan had championed legislation to reduce academic standards for the Arkansas state library director and regional library directors. That bill, SB 181, passed both houses last week. A Republican representing Jonesboro, Sullivan defunded his local library system in 2022 and pursued criminalization of librarians in 2023.

Does he hate libraries because all are welcome at the library? Because libraries don't discriminate? Because libraries are a bastion and pillar of our rights as protected under the First Ammendment and that scares him? Will none of this be challenged in the courts, because how is this constitutional??
—Elizabeth Anne

He looks like a guy who would defund libraries.
—Lauren Smith

What an insecure man—educated people threaten him. Why? Because they know how to think critically. We rank as one of the worst states in education—we need books and highly educated teachers to help catch up the children of Arkansas. They are our future.
—Mollie Watkins

Did he have a bad childhood experience with a librarian? Why the hell would you waste taxpayers dollars are this…how is this helpful to the community?
—kaiipo20

About our October 2024 story, “12 Transitional Book Series Librarians Love and Why”:

What is the definition of “transitional” here? This is a very wide range of necessary reading skills.
—Tiffany Eddings Cashatt

Cover reveals are commonplace on the blogs, as are friendly chats with book creators. Few have drawn more feedback than Betsy Bird’s conversation with Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, author of the upcoming picture book Not Like Every Day, subtitled "Finding Calm During School Lockdown Drills."

This illustration evokes such a powerful response... I'm sad we need this book, but: we do need books like this - that represent our experiences, that let us know we aren't alone, that open a door for conversation about how lockdowns (and all they imply about our safety) make us feel. Thank you.
—lvahey
 

We had a lockdown last week.
I had PreK come into the library.
There were many questions from the littles.
This book, without question, will find an audience and help.
(And maybe, one day, it won’t be needed. But it is today.)
—Arika Dickens

Librarian-led professional development? You’re all for it, it seems. One, among many affirmations for Grassroots PD:

 KC [Boyd] plans the best free PD ever! I am in a different time zone and I spent several days on Zoom but it was worth every minute. Even the sessions I thought wouldn’t interest me were fascinating. 
—grettmill

Finally, Travis Jonker’s post on “5 Upcoming Graphic Novel Adaptations of Beloved Books” drew a lamentation via LinkedIn:

What did they do to Junie B?!?!!
—Elissa Kapusinski