Welcome to Check Your Shelf. On a positive note amidst the chaos and stress of life, I got to watch my mother-in-law receive her PhD in nursing yesterday afternoon! As someone who plans to never pursue a PhD in anything, it was pretty cool to watch her hooding ceremony and hear her referred to as Dr. Horner! Of course, my husband’s family being who they are, they immediately started in with the Dr. Evil jokes. (“I didn’t spend six years in evil medical school to be called ‘Mrs.,’ thank you!”) My in-laws are fun. 🙂
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
The Kansas City Public Library reported that two vinyl records were returned to the library 61 years after their initial check out.
An authentic etching by Pablo Picasso sells for $4000 to benefit the Jerseyville Public Library (IL).
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will be expanding to all 77 counties in Oklahoma.
A tiny bible resurfaces at a Leeds library during lockdown.
Cool Library Updates
Prince George’s County (MD) Library System is partnering with the county Health Department to offer a program called “Community Health Worker in the Library.” Five branches will offer free Covid tests and masks, as well as a free bag of groceries. They hope to give away 100 bags of groceries each day to residents!
Wisconsin libraries discover creative uses for federal relief funds.
The Redwood City Public Library (CA) is selling its first batch of Library-made honey.
Inclusive birding through the library.
Worth Reading
How First Amendment auditors target public servants for viral videos.
Snapchat releases a “friendly” selfie drone called Pixy. Possibly a new addition to your Libraries of Things?
Teach yourself (or others) how to shelve.
Suggestions for when patrons contact the library with questions about their router.
Quick & easy ways to remove image backgrounds. (We’ve all been there…)
How J. Edgar Hoover used the power of libraries for evil.
Book Adaptations in the News
Rick Riordan speaks out against the racist complaints over the casting of 12-year-old Black actress Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase.
HBO is adapting a limited series version of Toni Morrison’s Sula.
A series adaptation of Never Let Me Go is in the works at FX.
Sarah Paulson will be portraying Glennon Doyle in the series adaptation of Untamed.
Cathay Park Hong’s Minor Feelings is being turned into a TV series.
The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery is getting its first ever movie adaptation.
Sony has acquired the rights to the Reddit short story “I Think My Mother-in-Law is Trying to Kill Me” by Nick Moorefox, which will be directed by best-selling author Jessical Knoll. If this is the story I’m thinking of, it showed up as a question in a Dear Prudence column. If it’s NOT the story I’m thinking of, then…we either have two short story writers, or there are some really scary mother-in-laws lurking out there.
Casting update for The Last Thing He Told Me.
A look at the film adaptation of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
Here’s the new trailer for House of the Dragon.
Banned & Challenged Books
The next book ban: States aim to limit titles that students can search for in library databases.
How to update your book challenge forms (with a provided template).
More than 25 organizations join forces with ALA to Unite Against Book Bans.
North East ISD (TX) will replace some of the banned books featuring LGBTQ+ characters with straight characters. Here’s how that will impact students.
A group of Prosper ISD (TX) parents have formed a reading and review group in opposition to a local PAC that has called for the removal of 82 books from school libraries.
El Paso Public Library unveils Banned Books sections at each of their branch locations.
In a Houston suburb, book bans fuel a bitter school board race.
Over 100 books have been challenged in Eanes, TX in less than two months.
A look at the ongoing book challenges happening at RISD (TX).
Enid (OK) city council discusses a possible lawsuit over their altered library policy.
A parent has challenged the book Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe at the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District (WI).
The Wausau School Board (WI) removes “sensitive topics” for grade school students amid concerns over political influence.
An unprecedented number of Minnesota school board members are resigning.
Hudson (OH) Board of Education elects to keep Gender Queer on library shelves.
Wake County Schools (NC) vote to keep Out of Darkness in the Cary High School library.
23 Virginia school districts have taken books off of shelves in the last two years.
School library books are called into question at a recent Frederick County (VA) school board meeting.
A Henrico County (VA) parent withdrew their formal challenge to the book A Good Kind of Trouble after it was reported on in the local paper.
Williamsburg-James City Council School Board (VA) reversed its recent decision not to purchase new social studies textbooks.
Baldwinsville (NY) parents, teachers, and board members contend with the nationwide book banning debate.
A Pennsylvania school district’s proposed book challenge policy is plagiarized from the Texas Education Agency’s recent proposed policy.
Wilson County (TN) school officials elected to keep four challenged books in high school libraries, but remove them from middle school libraries. The books in question are: Crank, Monday’s Not Coming, Clockwork Princess, and A Court of Mist and Fury.
Governor Lee (TN) plans to sign the controversial school library book scrutiny bill, despite the fact that a new poll shows that most Tennesseans actually oppose book banning.
The Nashville Public Library is now selling “I Read Banned Books” merchandise as a library fundraiser.
Madison County School District (MI) compiles a list of restricted books.
Administrators at Grain Valley High School in Kansas City has banned LGBTQ-support cards and stickers, particularly cards that teachers may display in order to indicate that their classrooms are “safe spaces for all.”
Nixa High School (MO) has fielded 17 requests to remove books from the library since February. None have been fully removed, but six will have restricted access.
Once again, the Salina (KS) school board has decided to keep All Boys Aren’t Blue on library shelves.
Bossier Parish (LA) School District has removed access to the Epic app due to LGBTQ-themed content made available on the app.
Brevard Public Schools (FL) have also removed access to Epic, along with an online math game.
The Florida Department of Education reinstated nine challenged math textbooks after publishers removed references to prohibited topics. The Department issued a statement saying “Publishers are aligning their instructional materials to state standards and removing woke content.” The fact that legitimate educational and governmental agencies are adopting language reminiscent of Internet trolls is kind of beside the point, but, like, “woke content” ISN’T A THING.
A look at some of the comments made by Florida textbook reviewers as they determine what makes these math textbooks acceptable. One textbook referred to racism being “embedded in American society,” so it was out. Another textbook used pictures of Black people primarily portrayed as athletes, so it was in. Like…what?
Polk County (FL) book review panels approve three LGBTQ books for school libraries: I Am Jazz, Almost Perfect, and Two Boys Kissing.
Rapid City (SD) School Board will vote on whether or not to destroy five newly purchased titles, a total of 185 copies. The books in question are How Beautiful We Were, Fun Home, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Girl, Woman, Other, and The Circle, and critics worry that this decision could set a disturbing precedent.
In response, Dave Eggers has told Rapid City high school seniors that they can receive free copies of any of the five books by emailing a request, and he will have the books shipped to the students from various indie bookstores.
Nampa, Idaho schools permanently remove 24 books from their libraries.
Liberty Lake City Council (WA) elects to keep Gender Queer on city library shelves.
Ok, no indoctrination in public schools…wait, unless it’s pro-Christian?
Books & Authors in the News
The Andrew Cuomo saga continues, with the New York ethics oversight commission filing a counter lawsuit in order to force a repayment of the $5.1 million in book proceeds paid to Cuomo.
On May 9th, LitHub published an essay from author Jumi Bello, which talked about her experience writing a debut novel and the plagiarism found in that novel. The essay was retracted later that day after LitHub discovered a further incident of plagiarism in the essay.
Numbers & Trends
The most popular in-demand books in US libraries: January – March 2022.
The most popular YA books on TikTok.
Award News
The 2022 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced!
The Locus Awards Top 10 finalists have been announced, including the anthology Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices, which was co-edited by Book Riot’s very own Jenn Northington!
Lea Ypi wins the 2022 Ondaatje Prize for her memoir, Free.
Pop Cultured
Dolly Parton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa is the new Doctor Who, and will be the first Black actor to star in the iconic role!
11 shows if you loved The Flight Attendant.
What to read and watch after Netflix’s The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
We Need Diverse Books is launching a campaign to send care packages to LGBTQIA kids — here’s how you can help.
An unofficial Bridgerton Ball is happening in Melbourne in September.
Here’s a look at Copper, the new app that’s touting itself as “the Instagram for book lovers.”
The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA is partnering with Paulie’s Pizza for Summer Reading By the Slice, where kids can earn free pizza for reading. (Remember those good old days?)
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
On the Riot
How to make a literary escape room in your school or public library.
15 excellent summer reading ideas for young readers.
The bookish life of LeVar Burton.
How your eReader can help you get back into reading.
I don’t know if Dini is yawning or yelling, but either way…same, Dini. Same.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Rest up this weekend and prepare to fight the good fight next week.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.