Legendary Actor/Author/Activist George Takei Named Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week 2025 | ALA
Pioneering actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 – 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by youth honorary chair Iris Mogul.
Wyoming libraries fear financial ruin from youth book policy bill
CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Legislature is considering a bill that librarians from across the state say will eliminate young adult and teenage sections from public libraries, calling it unnecessary and
New Legal Brief Against Iowa Book Ban Law Argues that it Violates the Free Speech Rights of Students, Publishers and Authors - PEN America
PEN America, the writers and free expression group that has been at the forefront nationally of documenting spreading school book bans, today filed a legal brief in an appeal by the state of Iowa to a federal judge’s ruling blocking enforcement of part of a 2023 law that led to the removal of thousands of books from the state’s schools that depict or even mention sexual activity.
Ayotte vetoes Republican-backed public school book ban bill
The book ban bill vetoed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte would have allowed parents to request books, films, and other items that depicted nudity and sexual contact to be removed from their child's school.
Dentons Book Banning Webinar: A View From Bookstores, Libraries and Courtrooms
Has your favorite book been removed from local libraries? The restriction and removal of books in libraries and bookstores–including literary classics–have come front and center in the culture wars.
How a Single Court Case Could Determine the Future of Book Banning in America
Only one library book ban case has ever been decided by the U.S. Supreme Court: Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico (1982). In 1975, the Island Trees school b…
Appeals Court Reverses Ruling in Texas Book Ban Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on May 23 reversed a district court’s preliminary injunction and dismissed free speech claims in Little v. Llano County, a Texas case challenging the removal of 17 books from a public library.
US military ordered to pull books on diversity, gender issues
The Pentagon ordered military educational institutions to pull and review any books that promote what it called "divisive concepts and gender ideology" on Friday, in the latest move from President Donald Trump's administration against diversity, equity and inclusion.
Mississippi libraries ordered to delete academic research in response to state laws - Mississippi Today
The two research collections state officials ordered for deletion included material from professional journals, conference papers, books, student dissertations, periodicals and newspaper articles.
Naval Academy removes nearly 400 books from library in new DEI purge ordered by Hegseth's office
U.S. officials say the U.S. Naval Academy has removed nearly 400 books from its library after being told by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to review and get rid of books that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Iowa law banning school library books that depict sex acts on hold again after a new federal ruling
A federal judge says Iowa for now cannot continue to enforce part of its book ban law. The decision Tuesday gives major publishers that sued the state their latest temporary reprieve.
Lawmakers consider ‘Freedom to Read’ bill as latest attempt to limit book bans in Oregon schools
Proponents point to historic highs in book ban attempts, largely targeting people of color, women and LGBTQ+ communities. Opponents argue it should be up to the parents.
The EveryLibrary Institute is collecting and analyzing polling and surveys about book bans, anti-access legislation, and the perception of libraries/librarians to help advocates quickly find and interpret results.
Censorship Beyond Books | American Libraries Magazine
Challenges to nonbook materials -- such as displays, social media posts, reading lists, and programs -- are on the rise. What should libraries do in the face of these attacks?
Judge rules Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians is unconstitutional
A federal judge has struck down key parts of an Arkansas law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing so-called “harmful” materials to minors.
Democratic state lawmakers back bills protecting individual freedom to read and think • Rhode Island Current
Democrat Rhode Island lawmakers on Wednesday promoted a suite of bills motivated by the Freedom to Read movement — an assertion of libraries’ right to hold controversial books, amid an ongoing culture clash over the written word.
Beyond Book Banning: Efforts to Criminally Charge Librarians
Both the Indiana and Iowa State Legislatures have introduced legislation regarding criminally charging libraries and librarians over “inappropriate” material. These bills are closely related to widespread book challenges occurring at schools and public libraries across the nation, with people trying to remove books that address certain topics relating to gender, sexuality, and race from library collections. In many cases there is already a clear process for reconsidering materials in a collection, so how do legal defenses play a role in this and what do the bills change?
Banned Books Week starts with mixed messages as reports show challenges both up and down
Two new reports provide a mixed but compelling outlook on the wave of book removals and challenges as the annual Banned Books Week begins for schools, stores and libraries nationwide.
Publishers File Additional Amicus Brief Supporting First Amendment Rights of Llano County Library Patrons in Full Court Rehearing of Little v. Llano County - AAP
On September 10, 2024, AAP and allies filed a second amicus brief in support of Texas public library patron plaintiffs in Little v. Llano County following the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ order of a full court rehearing of its June 6, 2024 decision. That earlier decision largely—but not entirely—upheld a preliminary injunction against the unconstitutional […]