Latest American Library Association News
Presidential hopeful DeSantis inspires push to make book bans easier in Republican-controlled states
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) — As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative...
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois lawmakers greenlighted a bill Wednesday that says libraries in the state must adopt an anti-book banning policy to receive state funding, in a vote that fissured along party lines. The measure, spearheaded by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, represents...
Editorial Roundup: New England
Portland Press Herald. April 22, 2023. Editorial: Maine’s school funding formula must be updated Until the formula recognizes our changing state, unfair allocation of state money will deepen inequities between wealthy districts and those less affluent. ...
Indiana bill could make book banning in schools easier
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers on Thursday gave their final approval to a bill that could make it easier to ban books from public school libraries. The bill would require school libraries to publicly post a list of books they offer and provide a complaints process for...
North Dakota governor vetoes 1 library bill, signs another
North Dakota's governor vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have required librarians under threat of criminal penalty to screen sexually explicit materials from children, but signed another barring explicit materials from the children's sections of local and school libraries. The...
'Gender Queer' tops library group's list of challenged books
NEW YORK (AP) — With Florida legislators barring even the mention of being gay in classrooms and similar restrictions under consideration in other states, a report released Monday says books with LGBTQ+ themes remain the most likely targets of bans or attempted bans at public schools and...
Texas county roiled by book ban considered closing libraries
Leaders in a rural Texas county held a special meeting Thursday but drew back from the drastic option of shutting their public library system rather than heeding a federal judge's order to return books to the shelves on themes ranging from teen sexuality and gender to bigotry and race. ...
Book ban attempts hit record high in 2022, library org says
NEW YORK (AP) — Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association released Thursday. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022,...
