Welcome to Check Your Shelf. As is often the case, most of the library news is happening in the “Censorship” section of the newsletter. And unfortunately, I’m finding an increasing number of paywalled articles. It’s important for us to see how much of this information is kept from the general public, and it’s important to still point to the schools and libraries where censorship is happening, even if we can’t read the full details. Democracy dies in darkness.
On a less bleak note, it’s time to curl up with a great book, and TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes!
Libraries & Librarians
Worth Reading
The Wall Street Journal says that libraries are the new front line in the American mental health crisis. It’s paywalled if you’re not a subscriber.
Book Adaptations in the News
Lucy Foley’s The Guest List is being adapted for a limited series for Hulu.
Here’s the official trailer for Eileen.
14 new and upcoming book-to-screen adaptations.
Censorship News
Are gatekeepers giving up the fight against book bans?
Scholastic says they’ll walk back their separate diversity collection for book fairs.
A comprehensive guide to all of the public libraries offering free access to banned books.
PEN America released a new report showing the staggering number of books that are banned in U.S. prisons.
Penguin Random House launches a writing award for high school students to combat book bans.
Here is the video of the “Protecting Kids: Combatting Graphic, Explicit Content in School Libraries” committee hearing, if you can stomach it. And here’s a written summary if you can’t stomach the video. Not surprisingly, the invited chapter chair from Moms for Liberty takes umbrage with the use of the word “banned.” Because that’s never what’s happening, is it?
Fran Lebowitz wants you to thank your librarian. “These people are like the backbone of democracy. They are so important. They were very important in my childhood, very important to me. No one should get near telling them what to do.”
(Paywalled) Plano ISD (TX) is refining its book selection process as sexual content still makes it onto library shelves. Stop. Legitimizing. Claims. Of. Sexual. Content. In. Libraries.
(Paywalled): As group voices concerns, Tyler Public Library (TX) remains committed to serving diverse populations.
Conroe ISD (TX) will vote on removing “sexually explicit” books at their November board meeting.
Lubbock (TX) book bans and those standing against them.
(Paywalled): The Lafayette Parish Library (LA) has canceled their community reading program because it was too hard to find a book that everyone agreed on. Look, any communal book club will tell you that finding a book that everyone agrees on is flat-out impossible, and that’s not the point of a community reading program anyway! They’ve also apparently moved multiple books on puberty to the adult section, according to the headline, because adulthood is clearly when puberty happens.
Moms for Liberty launches its first New York City chapter in Queens.
Suffield (CT) residents came to a recent Library Commission meeting to talk about the fact that a picture book about pronouns was removed from a display about kindness, a decision that was at the heart of the library director’s recent resignation.
Pennsylvania State Senator Ryan Aument has voiced support for a bill that would limit sexually explicit materials in schools and would require parents to opt their children into full library access. “Aument said this is not a book ban or discriminatory toward minorities.” Well, it must be true, then!
(Paywalled): Several books have been added to a “mature reading list” in Wilson County (PA) school libraries.
“The new school resource policy posted on the district’s website Friday morning would allow any student or their parents to challenge the use of literary and resource materials within the Blackhawk School District [PA]. Included in the policy are updates to the resource guidelines at the libraries and a new provision prohibiting content that is not ‘neutral.'”
“The Nazareth Area School District [PA] may have to spend more than $100,000 in taxpayer funds to review 23 books if Northampton County Moms for Liberty members and those connected with the group move ahead with requests to get all of those books banned.”
A Moms for Liberty chair’s son raised concerns over an LGBTQ+ book in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and some think it’s a setup.
(Paywalled): Carroll School Board (MD) has officially banned three titles and is requiring parental permission for four others.
(Paywalled): Harford County (MD) School Board, teachers, and community members address concerns over curriculum and books.
The Samuels Public Library (VA) spent almost $100,000 responding to book challenges from a group that wanted to have 141 titles removed or 0.04% of the Library’s total collection. Yes, this is a second news story about a library having to spend a hundred grand to battle a group of organized bigots. And that’s the point with these people – they WANT schools and libraries to incur enormous costs so that it becomes cheaper to just remove the books without argument.
“Republican Siobhan Dunnavant wants her Democratic opponent, Schuyler VanValkenburg, to retract a new ad that blames her for book bans in Virginia schools — threatening potential legal action if he keeps them on the air.” Honestly, I say more of these types of political ads. Bigots know that book banning is unpopular, and they don’t want their voters to know they support it. But the best way to combat these claims is to NOT BAN BOOKS. Radical, I know, but maybe give it a shot?
Pender County Schools (NC) are restricting access to A Court of Mist and Fury and Thirteen Reasons Why after a board member read passages aloud at a recent meeting.
Pickens County Schools (SC) face an uphill legal battle in their attempts to remove Stamped from the school libraries.
Rather than stand up to bigotry, the Greenville County Library System (SC) voted to remove all library displays unless they concern “paid holidays observed by both Greenville County Government and the Greenville County Library System” because themed displays are apparently a “liability for the library and are not a library necessity.” Honestly, if I worked there, I’d be job hunting immediately.
The ban on Flamer is being appealed in Marietta County, Georgia.
Alabama senators are considering legislative action to ban books.
“Read Freely Alabama, a group against book removals in Alabama public libraries, is expressing concern over Alabama Public Library Service Board Member John Wahl, who also serves as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. The group argues that Wahl’s participation in a roundtable discussion next month hosted by Clean Up Alabama is a conflict of interest.”
The Cullman County Public Library board (AL) opts not to remove three challenged books.
“Fairhope [AL] residents continue to push Fairhope City Council to withdraw funding for the Fairhope Public Library and have books removed, moved or sequestered,” despite the fact that the City Council has literally zero control over the library’s collections.
Last week, I posted about how, in Wilson County, Tennessee, a resident submitted a public records request to see who was behind the county-wide book bans. Most of the banners did not have any children or grandchildren registered in the school district, but the one parent who did is also the chapter chair of Wilson County Moms for Liberty. “Price told News 2 that she has not read all of the books she has challenged but has read excerpts.” SHOCKING.
Boyle County Schools (KY) has banned over 100 books, citing an anti-LGBTQ+ law, but state education officials disagree.
If you’re in Central Ohio or know people who are, pay attention to the school board races and know who you’re voting for!
The Brandywine Community School Board (MI) is trying to define what constitutes too much violence in the school library books, while leaked emails show that a trustee was contacting a local conservative news site about a recent diverse book grant that teachers received over the summer.
Hampshire High School (IL) has canceled its production of The Prom musical due to “safety concerns.”
Menomonee Falls School District (WI) has removed over 30 titles from the high school library.
(Paywalled): Sold by Patricia McCormick will remain in an Alexandria, Minnesota middle school, but students must get parental permission to access it.
How the “sex-act” has become a potent weapon for book banners in Iowa.
The Hampton Public Library received a 12% funding cut from the county. The County Chairman said all libraries received funding cuts this year, but the library director said she expects that it’s at least partly because of the library’s recent decision to retain 8 challenged books.
The Des Moines Register has sent out public records requests to every school district in Iowa to see which books have been removed under the state’s new legislation.
Nearly 70 books may be removed from Iowa City Community Schools under the new legislation.
“Fire-breathing lesbians” and “Satan-worshipping SOB’s:” the private chat logs of a Christian conservative school district group. This is in Colorado Springs.
Textbook publishers withdraw from Oklahoma as the fight over classroom content continues.
Mayfield High School (NM) will keep Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) in the school library.
The Lewis County Commissioners (WA) want the Timberland Regional Library to implement a book rating system despite not having any authority, financial or otherwise, over the Library. This is absolute nonsense.
The Canby School District (OR) heard complaints about 36 books but ended up banning Lolita.
Dayton (OR) schools will keep five challenged books on the shelves.
Huntington Beach (CA) City Council has approved a policy that will restrict minors’ access to books with sexual content in public libraries. “The proposal was spearheaded by Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark, who has made it her political mission to root out content she feels is inappropriate for minors and give parents more control over their kids’ choices of what to read. ‘This is actually how I got involved in politics,’ Van Der Mark told LAist. The first-time council member said years ago, she had found links to ‘pornography’ in materials given to students at her local middle school and that some books recommended by the state education department were ‘sexually explicit’ and ‘very inappropriate for children.’ This same Councilmember also reportedly distributed a horrifyingly antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ flyer to a handful of neighborhoods back in June.
“The Chino Valley Unified school board [CA] will discuss a possible revision to the Library Media Centers policy that instructs schools to pull a book off shelves in libraries and classrooms if a parent submits a formal complaint alleging the book contains sexually explicit content,” which if you’ll recall, is illegal under the new California law that prohibits book bans in schools.
(Paywalled): A North County (CA) school district quietly pulled books and shut down libraries after a parent complained. Its policy dictates otherwise. I’m really ticked this one is behind a paywall.
Books & Authors in the News
Oprah picks Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend for her 103rd book club pick.
Numbers & Trends
The bestselling books of the week.
Award News
The Hugo Awards have been announced.
On the Riot
What are the Friends of the Library, and how can you get involved?
6 of the most radical librarians in history.
The best bookish Halloween costume ideas for 2023.
8 of the most shocking first lines in fiction.
Gilbert and Dini had to make sure that our freshly laundered white towels were up to code. Here they are, taking a break from their long afternoon of supervising.
All right, friends, it’s the weekend! I’ll see you on Tuesday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.
