A coalition of 1,500 authors, illustrators, audiobook narrators, and translators have launched Authors Against Book Bans (AABB), an organization that will combat books bans and challenges all over the US. AABB is partnering with local organizations already at work on this issue, with aims of creating a framework for grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, support for teachers and librarians, and more. They write in a release, “Member authors attend school board meetings, meet with state, local and national legislators, and advocate for people fighting to access books and materials wherever challenges occur.” Members include Elizabeth Acevedo, Judy Blume, Alexander Chee, Dhonielle […]
Book Bans
TX Book Ban Overturned, Some Titles Returned to Library
On Thursday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas upheld part of preliminary injunction returning some banned books to a local library, ruling that “Government actors may not remove books from a public library with the intent to deprive patrons of access to ideas with which they disagree.” The suit was brought by seven patrons of the Llano County, TX library system, who asserted that the government’s 2021 removal of books based on their content “violated their First Amendment right to access information and ideas.” Seventeen books were removed from the library, including “‘butt and fart’ books,” “young adult […]
ALA Report: Books Targeted For Censorship Surged in 2023
The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom released a new report on library censorship attempts in 2023, recording a 65% increase from 2022 in the number of titles targeted. A total of 4,240 unique book titles were targeted at schools and public libraries, up from 2,571 the previous year. These titles were distributed among 1,247 demands. The report notes that public libraries saw the biggest increase, with the number of censorship attempts rising 92%. At schools, demands were up 11%. The ALA writes, “Groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens or hundreds at a time, drove this […]
Pen America and PRH’s Suit Against FL Schools Will Continue
Pen America and Penguin Random House’s lawsuit against the Escambia County, FL school board will move forward, U.S. District Judge Kent Wetherell ruled on Wednesday. The plaintiffs, which include a group of authors and parents, argue that the school system’s removal of more than 1,600 titles–including dictionaries and encyclopedias–is a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. “Today, we urged the court to vindicate the Constitutional rights of students, parents, authors and publishers,” Pen America, Florida director Katie Blankenship said in a statement. “We are heartened that Judge Wetherell agreed and that our case can proceed. These books need to […]
Judge Blocks Iowa Book Ban Law
A federal judge filed a preliminary injunction against Iowa’s “incredibly broad” book banning law, which was set to take effect on January 1. The law would restrict from school and classroom libraries any book that describes or depicts sex, and any book about sexuality or gender identity (the latter half of the law was blocked on December 22). Penguin Random House and four authors filed suit to block the provision in November. In the filing, Judge Stephen Locher noted that the law “has resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from school libraries, including, among others, nonfiction history books, […]
PRH Wins Partial Victory in Iowa Book Ban Suit; WaPo Analyzes Book Bans
In a preliminary victory for Penguin Random House in their suit claiming that Iowa’s book bans are unconstitutional, the state conceded that books about sexual orientation and gender identity will be allowed in school and classroom libraries. According to a press release, “students will be able to access them freely, read, and do reports on them.” This concession covers half of the publisher’s case against Iowa, which they brought with authors, educators, a student and parent, and the Iowa State Education Association. The other half concerns books that describe or visually depict sex, regardless of context, which are restricted through […]