In the News

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Bucks County Beacon, opinion, May 5, 2024

In Pennsylvania, Serpents and School Boards and the Independence Law Center, Again - Bucks County BeaconChristian Right culture warriors are doing "a better job at being clever as serpents” in their war on public education.

Oregon Arts Watch, May 3, 2024

Violent, aggressive, and personal attacks — language used to challenge books has changed dramatically, research presented at Oregon Library Association conference showsIn Oregon last year, “inappropriateness for children” maintained its top spot in book challenges. For the first time, it tied with another concern: that the book’s content was LGBTQ.

May 1, 2024, New York Times

His Book Was Repeatedly Banned. Fighting For It Shaped His Life.“The Chocolate War,” published 50 years ago, became one of the country’s most challenged books. Its author, Robert Cormier, spent years fighting attempts to ban it — like many authors today.

The Keystone, April 30, 2024

The PA mother who’s standing up against book bans—and the Dems standing with herPennsylvania ranks third in the nation for proposed book bans in academic libraries and public schools.

April 16, 2024

US Librarians Fear Penalties, Prison over Book BansAcross the country, there have been the most book bans and attempted bans in decades. And now some lawmakers are considering adding new threats: lawsuits, high fines, and even imprisonment for distributing books considered by some to be obscene or inappropriate.

April 16, 2024, AP

DeSantis tweaks Florida book challenge law, blames liberal activist who wanted Bible out of schoolsGov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged that a law he enacted two years ago making it easier for people to challenge books in schools and libraries has caused problems for school districts.

April 16, 2024, New York Times

Book Bans Continue to Surge in Public SchoolsMore books were removed during the first half of this academic year than in the entire previous one.

April 14, 2024, WGAL

Drag Queen Story Hour cancelledThe previous Drag Queen Story Hour was supposed to happen a few weeks ago at the Lancaster Public Library but was canceled.

March 27, 2024, WCAX

Vermont Senate advances bill to discourage book banningThe Vermont Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would establish procedures for Vermont libraries when it comes to restricting access to controversial books.

March 14, 2024, New York Times

Attempts to Ban Books Accelerated Last YearBook challenges around the country reached the highest levels ever recorded by a library organization.

American Booksellers Association Weekly List of Book Challenges Across the Country

This Week in Book ChallengesHere is an update on the latest book challenges for the week of February 21, 2024.

February 5, 2024, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Books targeted for banning by Western Pa. school board members are almost never checked out, analysis showsJohn K. Amanchukwu Sr. stood at the podium set up between dozens of people protesting books at an October Pine-Richland School Board meeting. He read a...

January 14, 2024, Lebanon Daily News

Pa. Librarians teach how to detect censorship in schools School libraries over the past several years have been the bull’s-e

December 17, 2023, Patriot News

Books targeted for banning by Pa. school board members almost never checked out: analysis Dozens of books are being challenged at districts across western Pennsylvania despite students seemingly not reading them from school libraries, the analysis found.

September 12, 2023, Keystone News Room

Group Releases Playbook on How to Organize Against Right-Wing School Boards An organization promoting inclusive education for children from grade school through high school released a “playbook” to help students, parents and community members organize around upcoming school board elections. One Bucks County parent shares how her organization pushes back against censorship and right-wing school boards.

August 31, 2023, Publishers Weekly

Judge Blocks Texas Book Ban LawJudge Alan D. Albright said that he will grant a motion for a preliminary injunction to block Texas's controversial book ban law, which was due to take effect on September 1.

August 22, 2023, Philly Voice

After rejecting a request to ban books, one Chester County school district now hears an appealThe Oxford Area School District finds itself in a similar situation as other school systems in the region, facing coordinated efforts to remove materials from libraries and curricula

August 15, 2023, Local21news.com

Protection versus restriction: Central Pennsylvania grapples with public school book bansIn Central Pennsylvania, the topic of book bans in public schools has been an ongoing debate of discussion.While some say it protects students from potentially

July 19, 2023, Delaware Valley Journal

Sen. Cappelletti Announces Bill to Stop 'Book Bans' – DV JournalDelaware Valley’s Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-Montgomery/Delaware) has proposed a bill to ban “book bans” in Pennsylvania libraries. “The American Library

July 12, 2023, Book Riot

Pennsylvania Senator to Propose Banning Book Bans in Next SessionAlthough still several months away, Pennsylvania State Senator Amanda Cappelletti is preparing an anti-book ban bill for 2023-2024.

May 17, 2023, Lancaster Online

Hempfield School District middle school students stage walkout to protest new book policyTen students at Landisville Middle School staged a walkout and protest Tuesday morning in opposition to proposed school district policies that they call censorship.

May 20, 2023, New York Times

Opinion | If You Care About Book Bans, You Should Be Following This LawsuitA constitutional challenge to Florida’s book-restricting frenzy.

May 18, 2023, Washington Post

School librarians face a new penalty in the banned-book wars: PrisonSeveral states have passed laws that could sentence people for years if they provide “obscene” books to minors.

May 15, 2023, Lancaster Online

Elizabethtown Area board appoints new district superintendent, reviews books policyWhen: Elizabethtown Area school board meeting, May 9. Board member Caroline Lalvani was absent.

May 14, 2023, Lancaster Online

As panic over books fuels school board primary races, voters have a lot of optionsWhen it comes to local politics, Republican voter Philip Lizee has shifted his priorities in the past couple years. He is still concerned about keeping taxes low and spending wisely,

May 12, 2023, Philadelphia Inquirer

Central Bucks orders removal of ‘Gender Queer,’ ‘This Book is Gay’ from school library shelvesThree other books — Lawn Boy, Beyond Magenta, and Me and Earl and The Dying Girl — have also been reviewed and will remain in libraries, according to an email from the district library coordinator.

May 11, 2023, ABC27

Lancaster County school board working on new library book policy some call “book ban”LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A Midstate school district is the latest flashpoint for cultural controversy. The Hempfield School District in Lancaster County is working on a new policy for s…

May 10, 2023, Loal 21 News

Hempfield School District residents at odds over book policy in school library Parents in the Hempfield School District were at odds over a proposed policy change to library resources.The policy said the school district library should be a

May 8, 2023, Indy Star

Gov. Holcomb signs book banning measureGov. Eric Holcomb signed into law a bill that opens up school librarians to felony charges for having "offensive" books in libraries.

May 5, 2023, BookRiot

2023 Right to Read Bills Under Consideration: Book Censorship News, May 5, 2023Four bills across the U.S. aiming to legislation the right to read. That, plus this week's book censorship news.

May 3, 2023, Lancaster Online

Hempfield school board met with lawyer who helped craft transgender athlete banHempfield school board members met behind closed doors last month with the attorney who helped the district craft its 2022 policy banning transgender athletes from competing on teams that correspond

May 1, 2023, Page Six

Author Judy Blume stands up to book bans, promotes ‘freedom to read’“This is America. We are supposed to celebrate all the freedoms that we have. One is the freedom to read,” the “Forever” author told Page Six.

April 30, 2023, The Post and Courier

DD2 board: Only parents, guardians can formally challenge books in librariesThe Dorchester District Two school board considered expanding district policy on who is allowed to challenge school library books to all community members. After feedback from concerned parents, teachers, librarians

April 25, 2023, KDKA News

Hempfield Area School District creates policy for book challengesBook challenges in schools across the country have reached unprecedented numbers.

April 15, 2023, Pennsylvania Capital Star

Parents, educators in Pa. and beyond organize against Moms for Liberty - Pennsylvania Capital-Star'My goal is to ensure that people in the LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities feel safe, respected, and valued,' educator Ariel Franchak said.

April 11, 2023, Publishers Weekly

Why the Current String of Book Bans Hurt Teens More Than Any Other DemographicDebut YA novelist Deborah Crossland reflects on why book bans hinder teens most of all by denying access to stories that reflect their shifting identities and the issues they face.

April 11, 2023, Peoria Public Radio

Central Illinois libraries are making a stand against book bans and censorshipSeveral libraries in the Tri-County area are pushing back against censorship as more books face challenges and bans in school and public libraries around the country.

April 4, 2023, Patch

Protesting Book Ban, Hundreds Walk Out Of Montco High SchoolThe proposal would remove sexually explicit content from the school library. Opponents excoriated it as the "erasure of student humanity."

April 3, 2023, NBC Philadelphia

Students at Perkiomen Valley High Walk Out of Class to Protest Proposed Book BanMany students at Perkiomen Valley High School walked out of class on Monday to protest a proposed ban on books deemed “sexually explicit.” NBC10’s Rosemary Connors has the details.

April 2, 2023, ABC News

Texas county's book ban overruled, titles coming back to libraries Books banned by leaders in one Texas county were ordered to be put back on the shelf, after a judge ruled in favor of residents suing the county.

March 29, 2023, Washington Post

Opinion | A new book-ban fiasco in Florida reveals the monster DeSantis createdHow the governor's school censorship regime will lead to more purges, crackdowns and hysteria.

March 23, 2023, NPR

Plot twist: Activists skirt book bans with guerrilla giveaways and pop-up librariesThis year is expected to set a record for the number of book bans by public school libraries, so many people are finding creative ways to make banned books available to young readers outside schools.

March 23, 2023, National Education Association

‘Us vs Them’: A Toxic Vision of Parent Engagement | NEAThe so-called “parents' bill of rights” being debated in Congress will increase book bans and undermine local control and educator autonomy—while doing nothing to promote authentic, constructive parent involvement in schools.

March 21, 2023, Fox 43

York County school district removes two popular books from library shelves"Push" by Sapphire and "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Mass were both removed from shelves following complaints of sexual content.

March 15, 2034, Atlantic Monthly

The Librarians Are Not Okay“I’ve been called a pedophile. I’ve been called a groomer. I’ve been called a Communist pornographer.”

March 13, 2023, Pen America

How to Stop Book BansThe freedom to read is under assault. Join PEN America to #FreeTheBooks by taking action and making your voice heard.

March 13, 2023, Jodi Picoult for the Daily Beast

What Florida Doesn’t Want You to Know About Its Book BansMy books are among those getting pulled off shelves, but here is why we should should care about all of them.

February 27, 2023, Education Week

How School Libraries Buy Books, Struggle for Funds, and Confront Book Bans: An ExplainerSchools are under fire from some parent groups over books they deem explicit. This is how those books end up in their library collections.

February 25, 2023, Lancaster Online

Hempfield Education Association states solidarity with librarians, asks for community cooperationWhen: Hempfield school board meeting, Feb. 14.

February 20, 2023, Lancaster Online

Elizabethtown Area School Board denounces parent's comments about sex abuseWhen: Feb. 14, workshop meeting. School board Vice President Michael Martin was absent because of work assignment.

February 18, 2023, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Meet Moms for Liberty, the group leading LGBTQ book bans in Pa. schools - Pennsylvania Capital-StarAt least 27 Pa. counties in have active chapters of the group, which was founded in Florida in 2021.

February 16, 2023, Huffington Post

Republicans Are Testing An Unpopular Strategy In A Tiny, Rural CommunityIn a high school library in Madison County, books by authors ranging from Toni Morrison to Stephen King are getting thrown out.

February 15, 2023, WHYY News

Central Bucks School District is considering removing 60 more books from its librariesThe district will review a total of 65 books for “inappropriate” and “sexualized content.” All of the books show up on a book reporting site used by Moms for Liberty.

February 9, 2023, Reading Eagle

Kutztown One Book, One School literacy program halted after outcry over book’s focus on climate change‘Two Degrees’ centers around four middle schoolers fighting for their lives amid three climate disasters.

February 3, 2023, WHYY News

Central Bucks school board has ties to Christian nationalist group, considers removing 4 LGBTQ books from its librariesThis would be the first test of the controversial library book policy, which aims to ban books deemed “inappropriate” for including “sexualized content.”

January 30, 2023, The Mercury

Methacton parents ask school board to pull books from libraries“These are coming from national groups. You can watch them happen in waves across the country.”

January 30, 2023, Bucks County Beacon

It Takes a Village: Expelling Right-Wing Extremism from Bucks County School Districts - Bucks County BeaconWhat we are seeing today in Central Bucks School District is just the latest chapter in the history of the right’s long war against public education – and progress in general.

January 28, 2023, Chicago Sun Times

Facing pressure to ban books, suburban libraries ‘becoming a battlefield for the First Amendment’“Most people still think of libraries as a place with books, you can hang out, it’s quiet,” Lincolnwood’s library director says. “That’s not what libraries are anymore.”

January 26, 2023, GoErie

Penncrest solicitor resigns from school district as schools pull books from shelvesTwo Penncrest school board member called their solicitor's legal opinion "worthless" earlier this month. Now he's resigned.

January 26, 2023, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Central Bucks librarian says he was directed to remove Holocaust survivor’s quote from window for violating advocacy policyThe quote reads, in part: “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim."

January 25, 2023, WHYY

January 20 2023, Bucks County Courier Times

Conservative group involved in Central Bucks library regulations some fear as defacto book banA leaked draft of Central Bucks book challenges procedures may have ties to a religious rights group, the PA family Institute.

Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, TribLive

Hempfield book policy draft could provide guard rails to sexualized contentAfter a yearlong debate over appropriate books in the school library, Hempfield Area officials have drafted updates to the district’s resource material policy that could shape the future of book selection and challenges in the district. The draft, penned by Superintendent Tammy Wolicki and district solicitor Krisha DiMascio, sets guard

January 16, 2023, Gettysburg Times

GASD still exploring reading materialGettysburg Area School District (GASD) is still exploring options for addressing concerns about some books on library shelves.

January 10, 2023, New York Times

A Fast-Growing Network of Conservative Groups Is Fueling a Surge in Book BansSome groups are new, some are longstanding. Some are local, others national. Over the past two years, they have become vastly more organized, well funded, effective — and criticized.

December 24, 2022, Truthout

School Librarians Are in the Crosshairs of Right-Wing Book Banners and CensorsRight-wing groups are escalating efforts to remove books that address race, gender and sexuality from school libraries.

December 7, 2022, KHOU 11

League City approves book policy paving way for removal of 'obscene' books from public libraryThe 4-3 vote ensures taxpayer dollars won't be spent on books deemed "obscene" and creates a new board to determine what books are appropriate for minors.

December 2, 2022 Aljazeera

Kiese Laymon on book bans, white supremacy and the US SouthBest-selling author of Heavy: An American Memoir talks to Marc Lamont Hill about the factors that shape Black identity.

November 30, 2022, Education Week

ACLU Texas Files OCR Complaint Over a District's Anti-Trans Book BanThe group claims the Keller school district's new policy to remove books about gender fluidity from library shelves violates federal law.

October 24, 2022, Lancaster Online.

Lancaster County parents move to challenge books, opt students out of 'inappropriate' contentResponding to a growing wave of concern about the content of public school library books, Ephrata Area School District started this school year with a new, more comprehensive policy allowing

October 20, 2022, Publisher's Weekly.

Missouri Proposes New ‘Protection of Minors’ Rule for LibrariesMissouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last week announced a new proposed rule he says will protect minors in the state’s libraries, but librarians and freedom to read advocates say the unwieldy new rule is a First Amendment minefield.

September 29, 2022. PennLive.

Furious debate over a book ban reignites in central Pa. school districtThings had quieted down in the Central York School District this past year after a debate and fight over a book ban involving some 300 books roiled the community for months. This week, the debate was reignited after an online news outlet published a list of banned books that listed the school district as one of the culprits.

September 19, 2022, Patch.

PA Has 3rd Most Banned Books Nationwide, As Censorship SoarsPennsylvania is a censorship battleground, as more than 450 works have been contested or banned by numerous districts, PEN America found.

September 19, 2022, Pen America

Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools“More” is the operative word for this report on school book bans, which offers the first comprehensive look at bans throughout the 2021–22 school year.

September 12, 2022, Patch

Bill Would Ban 'Highly Sexual' Material From PA School LibrariesProponents say PA law gives libraries too much leeway to contain certain materials which are otherwise illegal to be exposed to minors.