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The Latest Breaking News from the American Library Association

Eleven of the ‘most challenged’ books of 2025 as book bans remain at record highs in US

Overall, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded challenges to 4,235 different works

The Independent UK

Libraries ordered to stop processing passport applications

The move could cause some libraries to lay off staff, cut programs or close their doors

The Independent UK

Judge says administration can dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services

A federal judge in Washington, D

The Independent UK

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Libraries are cutting back on staff and services after Trump's order to dismantle small agency

Libraries across the United States have cut back on some digital services weeks after the Trump administration's move to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Independent UK

Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from dismantling library services agency

A federal judge has agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration from taking any more steps to dismantle an agency that funds and promotes libraries across the nation

The Independent UK

New report shows it’s largely officials and organizations demanding books be banned - not parents

Only 16 percent of book challenges came from parents themselves

The Independent UK

George M. Johnson's 'All Boys Aren't Blue' tops 2024 list of most 'challenged' US library books

The American Library Association has unveiled the 10 most “challenged books” of 2024

The Independent UK

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Rightwing groups across US push new bans to limit ‘obscene’ books in libraries

Critics say bans would hinder rights as proponents would impose their beliefs on others who don’t share their views

The Guardian - US

The case for saving America's libraries

America needs "third places" like our libraries more than we ever have, both functionally and philosophically

Salon

What to know about Banned Books Week

From September 22-28, the American Library Association will hold its annual effort to combat challenges to books

Salon

Cumberland Council’s book ban has been overturned, but what is really happening in Australian libraries?

At Cumberland City Council in the western suburbs of Sydney, one man – Councillor Steve Christou – persuaded the council to ban books about same-sex parenting from the council’s libraries.

The Conversation

In Georgia, a bill to cut all ties with the American Library Association is advancing

Several other states have made moves to disassociate from the nation's oldest library professional association. But Georgia's bill, the first of its kind in the nation, goes further than the others.

WEKU

Gen Z and millennials have an unlikely love affair with their local libraries

A phone fixation may seem at odds with an attraction to books. But the latter may offer a much-needed reprieve from the former.

The Conversation

Michael Connelly, Nikki Grimes, Judy Blume and other authors unite against book bans

During what the ALA is calling Banned Books week, more than a dozen high-profile authors are taking a stand against censorship. Author Michael Connelly alone has donated $1 million to the cause.

WEKU

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The Independent UK

Judy Blume, James Patterson and other authors are helping PEN America open Florida office

Judy Blume, James Patterson and Michael Connelly are among 24 prominent writers who have raised more than $3 million to help PEN America open a center in Miami and expand it efforts to counter Florida’s surge in book bannings in recent years

The Conversation

Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books

Efforts to ban books in public schools and public libraries reached an all-time high in 2022 and show few signs of abating for 2023, according to the American Library Association.

The Guardian - US

North Carolina bans ‘Banned Books Week’ but retracts after media backlash

Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district publicly amends instructions to principals after the Daily Beast picks up story

WEKU

There have been attempts to censor more than 1,900 library book titles so far in 2023

Most of the scrutinized books were written by or contained subject matter about people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to research by the American Library Association.

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The Independent UK

Conservative book ban push fuels library exodus from national association that stands up for books

More libraries are cutting ties with the American Library Association as the professional group stands up for books some say children shouldn't have access to because of their content

The Independent UK

Pushing back on limits elsewhere, Vermont’s lieutenant governor goes on banned books tour

As some states ban or restrict certain books in schools and libraries, Vermont’s lieutenant governor is on a statewide banned book reading tour, highlighting what he calls the importance of representation, free speech, open dialogue and exchange of ideas

The Independent UK

Latest GOP 2024 hopeful DeSantis 'blazing a trail' on book bans in Republican-controlled states

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 states

Tribune News Service

Republican lawmaker warns Broward libraries’ ‘I read banned books’ effort could prompt retaliation

A Florida public library system’s “I Read Banned Books” library cards are drawing concern from a Republican lawmaker who said the county agency is engaging in “a political stunt” with taxpayer money and warned it could generate financial retaliation by the state.

The Independent UK

The book ban surge gripping America’s schools and libraries

A nationwide surge in restrictions against library materials under the auspices of a “parental rights” campaign runs parallel to legislation targeting LGBT+ people and honest discussions of race and racism, sowing chaos for educators and chilling speech in schools across the US. Richard Hall and Alex Woodward report

WEKU

Graphic memoir 'Gender Queer' tops U.S. library group's list of most challenged books

LGBTQ+-themed books remain the most likely targets of bans at public schools and libraries, the American Library Association says. Maia Kobabe's memoir topped the list for the second year in a row.

The Times of India

Record high reported in Book ban efforts, says ALA

According to data released by the American Library Association on March 23, 2023, requests for books to be removed from US shelves and the wave of attempted book banning touched a record-high in 2022, with the majority of titles "targeted for censorship" related to LGBTQ issues and minorities.

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