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The Week in Libraries: December 8, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Montana strikes the MLIS requirement for library directors; Florida's revealing argument about the freedom to read in public schools; and a new report from ALA explores the "digital public library ecosystem."
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The Top 10 Library Stories of 2023
PW looks back at the library stories that captivated the publishing world this year, and what they portend for 2024.
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Librarians Gear Up for Second In-Person LibLearnX Conference
Set for January 19-22 in Baltimore, the still evolving, learning-focused LibLearnX hopes to take another step toward becoming a worthy successor to the now defunct ALA Midwinter Meeting.
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The Week in Libraries: December 1, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Iowa becomes the next book banning legal battleground; a survey finds that parents still overwhelmingly trust libraries and library workers; and ALA announces Meg Medina as honorary chair of National Library Week 2024.
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The Week in Libraries: November 17, 2023
ALA names an interim executive director; New York City libraries curb services after a mid-year budget cut; Moms for Liberty goes after Scholastic Book Fairs; and the Pew Research Center finds people are increasingly turning to such social media sites as TikTok for news.
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The Week in Libraries: November 10, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a good election night for libraries and a bad one for book banners; a national teachers group met with Scholastic leaders over the company's abandoned program to segregate diverse books; and how some librarians fired for defending the freedom to read are fighting back.
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The Week in Libraries: November 3, 2023
Among the week's headlines: the Alabama Public Library Service suggests moving on from the ALA's Library Bill of Rights; an Arkansas librarian recently fired for defending the freedom to read has no regrets (and a lawyer); lawmakers in Massachusetts consider a new library e-book bill; and Barack Obama shares an AI reading list.
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ALA Report Looks at Millennial, Gen Z Library Usage, Media Habits
The report, based on a “nationally representative” 2022 survey of some 2,075 Gen Z and Millennials, presents one of the most in-depth looks at how growing up in an increasingly digital environment has shaped the reading and media consumption behavior of younger Americans.
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The Week in Libraries: October 27, 2023
Among the week's headlines: school librarians gather for AASL in Tampa, an Arkansas state senator threatens the Arkansas Library Association, and net neutrality begins its long awaited comeback.
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The Week in Libraries: October 20, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a congressional hearing in support of book bans; more librarian blowback for Scholastic Book Fairs over its optional collection of diverse books; and the Urban Library Council issues a report on AI in libraries.
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The Week in Libraries: October 13, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Montana looks to remove a state requirement that directors at larger library systems have an MLIS degree; Brewster Kahle defends libraries; the DNC passes a resolution supporting the right to read in libraries; and an Arkansas library director is fired for defending the right to read.
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The Week in Libraries: October 6, 2023
Among the week's headlines: ALA executive director Tracie D. Hall resigns; how a new 'harmful to minors' rule is playing out in Missouri; and 'USA Today' reports on the website fueling book bans across the nation.
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Tracie D. Hall Out at American Library Association
In a surprise announcement, the ALA said that executive director Tracie D. Hall resigned from her position effective October 6, bringing a sudden end to her tenure after a challenging four years for the organization.
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Schedule Set, but Order Blocking Texas Book Rating Law Still in Limbo
In an October 2 filing, the plaintiffs argued that staying a federal judge's decision to enjoin HB 900 would "radically upend the status quo” and leave booksellers in a precarious position. But that is exactly where things stand, as an administrative stay issued by the Fifth Circuit effectively allows the law to take effect despite being found unconstitutional.
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The Week in Libraries: September 29, 2023
Among the week's headlines: Banned Books Week begins on Sunday; South Carolina's state library withdraws from the ALA; EveryLibrary and 'Book Riot' survey parents attitudes about book bans; and 'Library Journal' questions whether KKR's ownership of OverDrive is an issue for the firm's acquisition of publisher Simon & Schuster.
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Appeals Court Temporarily Stays Injunction Blocking Texas Book Rating Law
The temporary hold, which is not based on the merits of the case, puts Judge Alan D. Albright's preliminary injunction on ice while the Fifth Circuit considers the state's bid to stay the injunction.
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The Week in Libraries: September 22, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a judge in Washington rejects a bid by book banners to force a vote on closing the local library; a Colorado librarian who was wrongly fired after refusing to censor LGBTQ programming is awarded $250,000; Alabama's state librarian defends the ALA; and LeVar Burton will serve as honorary chair for Banned Books Week.
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New PEN America Report Finds 33% Jump in School Book Bans
"Amid a growing climate of censorship, school book bans continue to spread through coordinated campaigns by a vocal minority of groups and individual actors and, increasingly, as a result of pressure from state legislation," the report finds.
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New ALA Data Shows Book Challenges Still Surging
Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ALA reported 695 attempts to censor library materials between January 1 and August 31, 2023, and 1,915 unique titles challenged—a 20% jump over last year.
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The Week in Libraries: September 15, 2023
Among the week's headlines: a politically charged hearing on book bans in the U.S. Senate; Illinois libraries face another wave of bomb threats; an internal report reveals the strain library workers at the Oakland Public Library are feeling; and a brilliant essay explores how today's right wing attacks on libraries echo from a dark chapter in our history.
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