Censorship is surging thanks to an organised rightwing minority targeting books on LGBTQ and Black characters and issues“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door,” warns a character in Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s dystopian vision of an America where books are considered so dangerous they must be incinerated. The novel appeared 70 years ago, in the aftermath of Nazi book burnings and amid McCarthyism and Soviet ideological repression. But the urge to ban books has resurged with a vengeance, with the American Library Association (ALA) recording a doubling of censorship attempts in 2022, to 1,269 across 32 states: the highest rate for decades. Pen America, which champions freedom of expression, tallied more than 2,500 cases in the last school year.These attempts are not merely more numerous but are also broadening and deepening. The decisions of school boards and districts take place in the context of politicians grasping electoral advantage and punitive yet often vaguely worded state laws on education – such as the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis’s, Stop-Woke Act. At least 10 states have passed legislation increasing parental power over library stock, or limiting students’ access. In place of spontaneous challenges to single titles come challenges to multiple titles, organised by campaign groups such as Moms for Liberty. The ALA says that 40% of attempts last year targeted 100 books or more. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2023-04-13 17:21:33 UTC ]
Let’s start our morning right with the latest book news. Today, the American Library Association announced the shortlist of the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, which honors the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-11-17 15:48:43 UTC ]
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The American Library Association this week announced that three candidates will vie for the association's 2022-2023 presidency: Stacey A. Aldrich, Ed Garcia, and Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This is cool: The Ohioana Library Association has released a map and list tracing a new “literary trail” through the state, featuring historical landmarks, museums, unique libraries, and other hidden destinations. The list isn’t limited to the state capital of Columbus, either. The selections... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-12 19:09:38 UTC ]
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We checked in with a number of publishers and educational companies to see how their distance learning efforts are going, and what summer and a new school year might look like. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This year's Branford Boase Award shortlist has been announced, featuring a first-ever entry from Pushkin Press and multiple titles from Puffin. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-29 14:39:54 UTC ]
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The American Library Association has released its annual list of the most frequently challenged books, and while Harry Potter (and the Order of the Godless Friends) and The Handmaid’s Tale (hold on now, you’re saying this is a dys-topia?) managed to squeak into the top ten, the other eight on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-20 13:59:19 UTC ]
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Book Reviews Dianne Johnson-Feelings Mildred D. Taylor at the University of Oklahoma, October 24, 2003 / Photo by Robert Taylor Generations of American schoolchildren have grown up with Cassie Logan and her brothers, Stacey, Christopher-John, and... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2020-04-09 13:31:33 UTC ]
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In a stark sign that the U.S. is still in the early stages of the battle to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, the 2020 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for June 25-30 in Chicago, has been canceled for the first time since the end of World War II. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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More and more public libraries are temporarily closing shop across the country to limit the spread of coronavirus, but their Wi-Fi can still be a valuable resource for communities, the American Library Association said Monday. Libraries that close should leave their Wi-Fi open to the public... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-23 18:01:46 UTC ]
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As professional membership organizations of all kinds face challenges, PW caught up with the TLA's new executive director to talk about what's next for nation's largest state library association. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Like many conferences, this year's TLA annual conference has been canceled due to concerns over the spread of Covid-19. But organizers say they will use the setback as an opportunity to up their virtual programming game, and vow to come back strong in San Antonio next year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The news comes after publishers and other TLA exhibitors began pulling out in large numbers earlier this week, and as the host city of Houston moved to pull the plug on other scheduled events, including the popular Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Library association CILIP says the library service needs up to £250m investment and has called for action from Boris Johnson’s government to secure its own future. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-18 08:39:06 UTC ]
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Library association CILIP has criticised Boris Johnson following his comments on library services, following an Andrew Marr interview where the Tory leader suggested library closures were solely down to councils’ financial mismanagement. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-01 19:40:00 UTC ]
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In May, Jim Waterson, media editor at The Guardian, reported that Lionel Barber, the editor of the Financial Times, was on the way out, and that the search was on for his replacement. In the summer, when Amber A’Lee Frost, who was interviewing Barber for CJR, mentioned that he was retiring,... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2019-11-12 13:03:08 UTC ]
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In written testimony made public this week, American Library Association officials told lawmakers that “unfair behavior by digital market actors—and the outdated public policies that have enabled them—is doing concrete harm to libraries.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The American Library Association is distancing itself from Melvil Dewey as the profession reflects upon his past. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2019-09-27 15:40:06 UTC ]
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In time for the new school year, Follett Corp. is rolling out Follett Book eFairs, an online expansion of the company’s book fairs business, which debuted in fall 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-08-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The American Library Association has received a petition signed by 100,000 people protesting its support for Drag Queen Story Hour, a movement of queer-affirming storytelling events at libraries, bookstores, schools, and other venues around the country. LifeSiteNews, a right-wing website owned... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-08-07 17:00:08 UTC ]
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The School Library Association (SLA) has awarded the School Librarian of the Year Award to Ros Harding from The King’s School Chester. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-01 07:49:08 UTC ]
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