All articles tagged with #school libraries
PEN America reports a significant rise in book bans in U.S. schools during 2024-2025, with nearly 7,000 bans despite a slight decrease from the previous year, highlighting ongoing censorship and challenges to books on topics like LGBTQ+ and controversial themes, especially in states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
Florida education officials report that hundreds of books, including works by Toni Morrison and Stephen King, have been removed from school libraries following challenges by parents and residents. Recent state laws have facilitated these removals, leading Florida to lead the nation in book bans, according to the American Library Association and PEN America. The removed books often feature LGBTQ themes, discussions of gender and sexuality, or are deemed "sexually explicit" by conservative advocates. Legal challenges have arisen, with some districts facing lawsuits over restricted access to literature.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that limits the ability of individuals without children in a school district to raise objections to books, allowing them to raise only one objection per month. Parents with children in the district, including those with home-schooled children, can still file unlimited objections. The law aims to address logistical challenges posed by a controversial 2022 law and has faced criticism for leading to an increase in banned books, particularly those with race-related or LGBTQ content. Governor DeSantis stated that the legislation focuses on core academic subjects and rejects classroom indoctrination, aiming to protect schools from activists trying to politicize and disrupt the book review process.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill narrowing the focus of a controversial book challenge law, blaming liberal activists for abusing it, despite data showing that conservative individuals and groups are responsible for the majority of book removals from school libraries. The original law allowed anyone to challenge books as often as they wanted, leading to a high number of book bans in the state. DeSantis' backtrack comes after warnings from Democrats about the law's potential for abuse, and amid criticism from groups like PEN America.
Beaufort, South Carolina, faced a battle over the banning of 97 books from its public schools, with most of the books featuring minority, LGBTQ+, and sexually explicit content. The attempt to ban the books was driven by a conservative group, Moms for Liberty, which has been part of a national trend of book bans in schools. The community ultimately engaged in a year-long process involving volunteers, teachers, and librarians to review and vote on the books, resulting in the return of 92 books to the schools. The incident highlighted the clash between parental rights, diversity, and censorship in education.
Beaufort, South Carolina, faced a push to ban nearly 100 books from public school libraries, leading to a fierce debate and threats against librarians and educators. The school superintendent temporarily removed dozens of books from shelves for review, fearing violence. A review team found that one of the 97 books on the list had never been on school library shelves. After a year-long review process involving community members, teachers, and educators, five books were banned, while the rest were returned to library shelves. The push for book bans was driven by the self-described parental rights movement and the group Moms for Liberty, which aims to disrupt the balance of power in American education.
Beaufort County in South Carolina temporarily pulled nearly 100 books from school library shelves after complaints from two residents, leading to a review process involving 146 parents and community members. Ultimately, 92 books were returned, while five were banned, including "Beautiful" by Amy Reed and "Forever for a Year" by B.T. Gottfred. The complaints originated from a list of 97 books on a site called BookLooks, with ratings based on explicit content and gender ideologies.
Georgia state senators are considering proposals that would require school libraries to notify parents of every book their child checks out and subject school librarians to criminal charges for distributing material containing obscenity. These measures are part of a broader push by Republicans to root out what they see as inappropriate material from schools and libraries, while opponents argue that it's a campaign of censorship meant to block children's freedom to learn. The bills have sparked controversy, with supporters arguing for parental rights and opponents raising concerns about First Amendment rights and the potential impact on students' access to ideas.
Oklahoma's superintendent has appointed Chaya Raichik, known for her anti-LGBTQ+ content on the banned account Libs of TikTok, to the state’s Department of Education Library Media Advisory Committee. Raichik, with no educational background, has been linked to bomb threats and harassment campaigns. The superintendent has also aligned with right-wing influences and targeted "woke" ideology in schools, drawing criticism from lawmakers and raising concerns about the safety of public school administrators, teachers, students, and families.
Chaya Raichik, the controversial figure behind "Libs of TikTok," known for her far-right views and anti-LGBTQ stance, has been appointed to the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Library Media Advisory Committee, despite not living in Oklahoma. This move has sparked concerns about the influence of her radical views on school libraries and reading materials for public school students in Oklahoma, a state that already ranks fourth in the nation for book bans. Raichik's history of inciting bomb threats and spreading misinformation about LGBTQ issues has raised alarm among critics, who question the selection process and the impact on education in Oklahoma.
Chaya Raichik, the operator of "Libs of TikTok" social media accounts known for far-right and anti-LGBTQ+ political positions, has been appointed by Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters to the Oklahoma State Department of Education Library Media Advisory Committee. This move follows Raichik's attacks on a Tulsa-Union school librarian, which led to bomb threats and learning disruptions. Walters praised Raichik's perspective and platform, while also proposing new rules to eliminate references to American Library Association guidelines in Oklahoma's Information Literacy Standards, branding the ALA as "left-wing."
A federal appeals court in Texas questioned the constitutionality of a new state law that requires book sellers to rate the explicitness and relevance of sexual references in materials sold to schools. The law aims to keep sexually explicit books out of school libraries but has been challenged by book vendors who argue it is overly broad and vague. The court raised concerns about the definitions of sexual content and community standards in the law. The outcome of the legal challenge is still uncertain, and it is unclear when the court will issue a ruling.
Comedian Steve Martin sarcastically responded to the removal of his novel "Shopgirl" from Collier County Public Schools in Florida, stating that he was proud to have his book banned and that people would now have to buy a copy to read it. The book, published in 2000, became a bestseller and was later adapted into a movie. The removal of Martin's book was part of a larger effort to comply with a Florida law prohibiting titles containing "sexual conduct." The school district is conducting a review of the banned books to determine if they should remain in the collection.
Communities in New Jersey are engaging in debates over free speech, appropriate content for children, and parental control as calls to ban or restrict access to certain books in schools and public libraries increase. Hoboken, Westfield, and Maplewood have designated their libraries as "book sanctuaries" ahead of Banned Books Week. Several school districts in the state have also faced complaints about access to certain books, with one high school librarian suing parents for defamation.
Moms for Liberty, a conservative parents-rights group, is leading efforts to remove books from school libraries in Carroll County, Maryland. The group opposes books with sexual content and has flooded the school system with requests to review 56 library books. In response, the superintendent has temporarily taken the books off the shelves. School librarians are now required to follow a time-consuming checklist to assess a book's content before adding it to the library. The Maryland Association of School Librarians has supported librarians facing book challenges in other counties but Carroll County is the only one to change its book selection procedure. Critics argue that the new checklist is unrealistic and will result in fewer books being available to students. The book challenges have drawn attention from various organizations and sparked a debate over censorship and the representation of diverse perspectives in school libraries.