Sponsored by OverDrive.
We’re shining a light on BIG savings! Thousands of titles – 25-50% off. New releases | Romance | Mystery | Comics | Diverse reads | Much more. Take advantage of our biggest sale to stock up your collection for the new year.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf, where you can hear the sighs of a thousand beleaguered library employees. I wish I had more cheerful intros for some of these newsletters, but after sorting through so many articles about book banning, my cheer has been depleted. Grab yourself something tasty to eat or drink while you read this newsletter, and let’s jump in.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
After the Denton Public Library (TX) canceled a book reading on the Trans Day of Remembrance, a mother of a trans boy took action and organized her own reading.
An overdue book was returned anonymously to the Boise Public Library 111 years past the due date.
Cool Library Updates
Jacksonville Public Library permanently eliminates overdue fees.
The Chicago Tool Library is planning a move after growing so fast that it’s run out of space for donations.
Worth Reading
Health departments are relying on libraries to distribute COVID testing kits.
A former inmate advocates for access to libraries in prison.
Book Adaptations in the News
Jo Nesbo’s dark corporate thriller Headhunters is being turned into a TV series.
The Infamous Frankie Lorde books by Brittany Geragotelis are getting a live-action film adaptation.
Banned & Challenged Books
ALA releases a statement on book censorship, as does the New York Library Association and the Kansas City Public Library.
ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has tracked 155 censorship incidents since June 1st.
School libraries and controversial books: tips from the front lines.
A New Hampshire conservative group offers $500 for catching a teacher breaking the state’s recent Critical Race Theory law.
Wayne Township (CT) parents are pushing to remove Gender Queer from school shelves.
Riverbend High School (VA) students hold a protest against removing library books.
Harrisonburg City Public Schools (VA) superintendent Michael Richards pulls Gender Queer from high school shelves after receiving complaints from parents, even though the parents did not follow established protocol.
Schools across St. Louis face more attempts to remove books from library shelves.
Utah governor Spencer Cox says Utahns should “pump the brakes” over banning books in schools.
Canyons School District (UT) says its book review process is “problematic.”
Meanwhile, the ACLU of Utah issues a statement on book banning and censorship.
Educators in Utah urge parents not to call the police over “harmful” books in school libraries.
The DuBois Area School District (PA) says that it will make The Hate U Give available to middle school students with parental permission.
Johnston (IA) parents file a complaint to remove The Hate U Give and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.
Meanwhile, multiple Johnston activist groups are planning a protest against three newly elected board members, all of whom signed a pledge to “defeat toxic, CRT-inspired curriculum & restore honest, patriotic education.”
Muscatine (IA) parents discuss book banning at a recent school board meeting.
An Urbandale (IA) school committee will review the book Hey Kiddo in response to parental complaints.
A LaGrange (IL) resident read explicit passages from Monday’s Not Coming and All Boys Aren’t Blue at a recent high school board.
Proud Boys join the effort to ban Gender Queer in Downers Grove (IL) schools.
Central Kitsap School District (WA) officials are re-examining their decision to remove Gender Queer from library shelves.
The proposed book ban in McAllen, Texas will silence the LGBTQ+ community and authors, advocates say.
Texas education board chair discusses the ongoing fight over library books.
Georgia schools may soon face renewed challenges to “obscene” library materials in 2022.
The principal of Horizon High School in Phoenix is on leave amid controversy over the book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson, which was assigned in an AP English class.
An Ohio small business owner launches a new banned book subscription series.
The Toronto school board lost the plot and misguidedly rejected these books.
Hong Kong public libraries purge 29 titles about the Tiananmen Massacre from the shelves.
What people miss in the conversation about banned books.
Critical race theory debates are drowning out learning experiences for students.
Here are the books parents want to ban in schools right now.
Libraries, and the books in them, must reflect the diversity of thought and values in their communities.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
Books & Authors in the News
Stephen Sondheim, titan of the American musical, has died at 91.
(TW: rape) The rape conviction of Anthony Broadwater, who spent 16 years in prison for the 1982 rape of author Alice Sebold, was overturned on Monday. Sebold wrote about her attack and the subsequent legal proceedings in her memoir, Lucky, which is now being pulled from publication following Broadwater’s exoneration.
Former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper sues the Pentagon for blocking portions of his memoir.
Authors back Sally Rooney’s boycott of an Israeli publisher.
Award News
Barack Obama received his third Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album. Here are the rest of the Grammy nominations.
The 2021 Costa Book Awards shortlists have been announced.
The New York Times wants readers to vote for the best book published in the last 125 years.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
Reese Witherspoon’s book club opens its first pop-up bookstore in LA.
Tolkien’s estate has blocked a new “JRR Token” cryptocurrency on infringement of trademark rights.
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is “vaccine.”
On the Riot
A librarian shares how to actually do your own research.
This former Carnegie library is for sale, and could be yours!
How to add a new book to Goodreads.
Booksloth review: is it worth ditching Goodreads?
What to do when you read a critical review of a book you loved, and it actually makes some good points?
How to set up your own mini reading intensive.
Mary Shelley’s former London apartment is for sale.
13 fun and creative book storage ideas.
Ugh. Did you wade through all of the book banning news again? Give yourself a gold star and take care of yourself this weekend! I’ll see you next week.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.