Librarians in South Carolina, Tennessee Scramble to Adapt to New Laws | Censorship News

Public library access will be restricted for minors in Lafayette Parish, LA; new laws require changes for librarians in South Carolina and Tennessee; and Crank stays on shelves in Virginia.

Minors Will Soon Need Parental OK for Full Access to a Louisiana Public Library | The Acadiana Advocate
Hundreds of Lafayette Parish, LA, minors will lose public library access to computers, ACT preparation materials, and classic novels assigned for literature classes under a policy adopted by the Lafayette Public Library Board of Control. Board members voted 4-0 to OK a policy that calls for patrons ages 17 and under who obtained a library card before May 28 to have their access restricted beginning Aug. 7.

South Carolina Lawmakers Approve Controversial School Cell Phone Ban and Library Book Restriction Provisos | News 19
The law will restrict public libraries from offering access to certain books to kids under 17. Libraries that let kids access books with "prurient interests" will also not be eligible for state funding.

Tennessee Schools Work to Adapt as New Law Bans Books with Any Sexual Content, Nudity | Fox 17
Some Tennessee school districts are voicing concerns about a new Tennessee law that bans books that contain any nudity or descriptions of sex, no matter how brief or the context. The law goes into effect in just a few weeks, and school libraries are scrambling to comply.

Texas District Trustees Gain Power in Book Banning Process | MSN.com/ABC 13 Houston
The Cy-Fair (TX) ISD school board voted to give themselves more power to ban books from district libraries, marking the second major decision regarding instruction and reading material selection in weeks. Before the last day of school on May 31, the board approved cutting half of its librarian positions and separately omitting science textbook chapters that all but one board trustee considered "controversial."

Public Libraries Resist Calls for Book Removals | WCVB
Massachusetts libraries are navigating challenges to certain materials.

Students in Howard County, MD, Were Mostly Quiet About Book Bans—Until Now | The Baltimore Banner
More than 550 students signed a petition asking the Howard County (MD) Board of Education not to give in to the demands of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parent-rights group that’s seeking more restrictions on the books in school libraries. In Howard County, the group has targeted more than three dozen titles, many of which have LGBTQ authors and characters. The most recent book the group challenged—which was recommended to stay in libraries — was Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera, a book in which the main character begins to identify as a lesbian.

Contested Book Crank Likely to Remain in Virginia District’s Libraries | The Winchester Star
The Frederick County (VA) School Board’s Instruction Committee heard the latest on school board chair Edward Sturdivant’s book challenge. After moving through review committees at Millbrook, Sherando, and James Wood High Schools, as well as one at the division level, Sturdivant’s request to remove Crank by Ellen Hopkins from the three schools was not granted.

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