Although you’re reading this on November 22nd (or later), this is the first library and censorship news post that I’ve drafted since the election, and it’s hard to see the headlines and know that the censorship in this country is going to get exponentially worse. I don’t have an answer, but I do know this is one of the most important fights we’re going to face in our profession. Read Kelly Jensen’s list of ways to fight book bans and censorship in 2024, make a plan to push back, and build in time to take care of yourself along the way.
Fairhope Public Library (AK) has created a policy that requires children 17 and under to have parental permission to access certain books. A city councilman said, “We’ve created policies that are to give power to parents, but do not step on anybody’s constitutional rights,” which is a heaping pile of bullshit. It’s still censorship, and it defaults to restricting access unless the kids have parents who are proactive enough to provide permission in the first place.
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