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Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m writing this newsletter after doing a solid hour and a half of passport appointments, so my brain is Swiss cheese. Let’s jump right in, shall we?
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
Tennessee and Missouri introduce their own library eBook bills, while Illinois’ bill advances.
The former chief of security at Florida State’s Strozier Library has been arrested for the theft of nearly 5,000 comic books from a special collection.
Two controversial Pikes Peak Library District (CO) board members have been appointed, just as the board looks to review the library’s collection development policy.
Cool Library Updates
In celebration of National Library Lover’s Day, the 2022 Summer Scares Horror lists have been announced!
Worth Reading
Libraries providing home COVID test kits are continuing to face supply challenges and upset patrons.
Why aren’t there more Black librarians?
On being a disabled school librarian.
Book Adaptations in the News
Harper Lee’s estate has been ordered to pay $2.5 million in a dispute over the Broadway adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Jenna Bush Hager’s book club has signed a first-look production deal with Universal Studio Group.
Cynthia Pelayo’s Children of Chicago has been optioned for film!
Frank Ocean, Dua Lipa, and Cardi B will be featured in a musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
A Blade Runner 2099 TV series is in the works at Amazon with Ridley Scott.
Joe Hill’s The Fireman is being adapted for TV.
Rachel DeLoache, author of the book My Friend Anna, accuses Netflix of “running a con woman’s PR” with their upcoming show Inventing Anna.
The film adaptation for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is set for a September release.
The anime feature Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set for an April 2024 release.
BritBox is producing three Agatha Christie adaptations.
Amazon renewed Reacher for a second season.
Love, Victor will be ending with Season 3 on Hulu.
Here’s the trailer for The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, and airing on Hulu.
Plus, we’ve got first trailers for The Shining Girls, Conversations With Friends, and Bridgerton Season 2.
Make sure to get your own Read Harder Book Journal from Book Riot to track your reading for the year!
Banned & Challenged Books
Is a curriculum update a book ban?
Tracie D. Hall, ALA’s Executive Director, calls book censorship a slippery slope for human rights.
Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle has donated $500,000 to fight book bans.
Author Jack Guinness has said that he’ll fight to overturn any US ban on his book, Queer Bible.
LeVar Burton implores kids to read banned books: “That’s where the good stuff is.”
Scribd is making all of its books free for 30 days in response to recent book bans.
In Hood County (TX), the push to remove LGBTQ books isn’t new, and it could signal rising partisanship on school boards.
Update on the Ridgeland Public Library (MI), which was expected to lose $110,000 in funding from the mayor until they got rid of their LGBTQ books: they have raised over $100,000 as of February 11th!
Several books in the Yorktown High School library (NY) are under review, including Beyond Magenta, Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts), The Hate U Give, and Gender Queer.
Raymond School in Wisconsin recently removed three books from its school library: All American Boys, Speak, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
More books are being challenged across Iowa.
Salina (KS) parents are calling for the removal of All Boys Aren’t Blue from high school libraries.
The ACLU of Missouri is filing suit against the Wentzville School District over its book ban. Meanwhile, two students have already filed a lawsuit against the district in federal court.
Parents have registered complaints against The Bluest Eye being in Berkeley County (WV) schools.
Tennessee’s governor and the GOP push for more scrutiny of school libraries.
The Hamilton County (TN) school system looks at policy changes for school books deemed “obscene.”
The Kent School District (WA) has elected to keep multiple books that were under review, and the district librarian says that he’s ready to defend LGBTQ books “even more now.”
An LA school librarian successfully defends The Undefeated against censors.
Why Polk County (FL) schools are handling these 16 books differently than a “normal complaint.”
A Flagler (FL) high school student fights back against book bans nationwide.
Three parents want the Lee County School Board (FL) to ban three books: Killing Mr. Griffin, Sloppy Firsts and Tricks.
Protestors are still showing up by the dozens to Pitt County School Board (NC) meetings, two weeks after they elected to keep three challenged books on library shelves.
Several Charlotte Middle School (NC) parents are upset over students being required to read The Girl Who Fell From the Sky.
Wake County Public Libraries (NC) is revising its collection and book challenge policies, but some librarians say the administration is less than transparent, and the work culture reprimands and shuts out anyone who questions administrators.
The Langley High School (VA) has taken down a controversial display sign that said “Stuff some adults don’t want you to read.” The sign was on display during a parents’ night event.
What’s behind the right-wing book banning frenzy? Big money and a long-term plan.
The US Supreme Court has consistently sided against banning books.
Book banning is about the illusion of parental control.
This wave of book bans is different from earlier ones.
Ensuring white children’s happiness has long involved racist double standards.
Books & Authors in the News
Satirist P.J. O’Rourke has died at 74.
Oprah selects The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self by Martha Beck for her latest book club pick.
Here are the recent February book club picks.
Apple launches its own book club in the Apple Books app.
Penguin Random House denies claims that it demanded the removal of Maus from the Internet Archive.
Award News
CJ Sansom wins the 2022 Diamond Dagger Award for his debut novel, Dissolution.
The Rathbones Folio Prize shortlist has been announced.
The Story Prize finalists have been announced.
The 2021 Cybils Awards have been announced.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
Pop Cultured
Futurama is being revived at Hulu.
On the Riot
Not all heroes wear capes: the Fairfield Library introduces work and play stations.
Rereading Fahrenheit 451 in an age of mass censorship.
Soft and quiet: self-censorship in an era of book challenges.
How to start a teen book club.
Check out our new line of Wordle-inspired merch! (This is a temporary campaign, so make sure to get yours while the gettin’s good!)
Does anyone else’s cat enjoy licking fabric? Sometimes I feel like Gilbert just starts giving himself a bath and doesn’t realize when he starts licking the couch, but other times he just goes to town on my pillow, and I don’t realize it until I put my hand in a damp spot. He’s an odd cat.
Well, I’m out. Time to stagger into the weekend, friends. Let’s try to read something good, shall we?
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.