Welcome to Check Your Shelf. By the time you read this newsletter, it will be Friday, and hopefully that will be something to celebrate. Take a deep breath, because there’s a lot of not-so-happy news items in this issue.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
This news is in regards to schools, but given the recent bomb threats called in to public libraries, I wanted to put this up front: A swatting spree is happening to schools across the country and some say this is likely part of a coordinated effort.
So, this news item didn’t happen to libraries specifically, but it does involve Ingram, so worth noting: A “rogue” Ingram employee was replacing book orders for the pro-choice book Ejaculate Responsibly with books from Focus on the Family.
Cool Library Updates
A community rallies around the new Superior Township Library in Michigan by forming a book train to help move books from the old location to the new one.
Dolly Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for her work with her Imagination Library.
Book Adaptations in the News
All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris is getting a limited series at Showtime.
Hulu orders a series adaptation of Interior Chinatown, with Jimmy O. Yang starring and Taika Waititi directing.
Kenneth Branagh is making a third Poirot mystery, which will be based on the novel Hallowe’en Party.
Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis is being adapted for film.
There’s a film sequel to The Joy Luck Club in the works.
A Wrinkle in Time is set for a stage musical adaptation.
Hulu’s Hardy Boys is ending after Season 3.
Casting update for Blackwater Lane, which is based on BA Paris’ The Breakdown.
Everything we know about the new Three Pines series.
New trailer for William Gibson’s The Peripheral.
A character guide for House of the Dragon.
Banned & Challenged Books
What exactly is a book sanctuary?
Conservative PACs are injecting millions into local school races.
The growing religious alliance to ban LGBTQ books.
This is an important read: Notes from an Awake IL/Moms for Liberty school board training meeting.
The right-wing money and influence behind Moms for Liberty.
Here’s a biased article: Decatur Public Library (TX) keeps explicit books despite parents’ requests for removal. Yeah…just because someone wants a book removed doesn’t mean that libraries are suddenly obligated to remove it. That’s not how any of this works! Or at least it’s not supposed to be how any of this works.
The Arlington Library Board (TX) may bar LGBTQ displays from youth sections as the Pride Month debate continues.
Escambia County (FL) School District restricts access to over 100 books prior to completing a formal review, although the superintendent says that the Bible is educational and allowed in schools.
RSU 40 (ME) Board of Directors will vote on whether or not to retain Gender Queer in the high school library.
LGBTQ advocates and a teacher are taking legal action against the Connetquot Central School District (NY) after a teacher was directed to remove Pride flags from her classroom.
Fairfield Public Library (CT) trustees unanimously voted to retain Let’s Talk About It.
A banned books display sparks debate in Westport, Connecticut.
Old Rochester Regional High School (MA) is reviewing a group of challenged books, and although the school has not officially confirmed the titles, students say the books are all centered around gender, sexuality, or race.
The book battle continues in the Pennsylvania state legislature.
Pennsylvania state representative Chris Rabb announces legislation to rein in book bans.
A Maryland school board candidate is calling for the removal of dozens of books from the Frederick County Public School libraries.
About 20 masked Proud Boys showed up to protest a Drag Queen Story Hour at Brookside Gardens in Maryland.
Loudoun County (VA) school board is drafting a new policy establishing guidelines for “sensitive and controversial” topics in the curriculum, without defining what either of those terms mean.
A group of parents say that the Madison County School Board (VA) violated policy by removing more than two dozen books from the library before there could be a public comment hearing.
The deadline to file an appeal against the overturned obscenity lawsuit in Virginia Beach has passed, so Gender Queer will continue to be seen in bookstores.
Cabarrus County (NC) schools debate who gets to initiate book removals.
The Catawba County School board race has a lot of candidates eager to make it easier to remove books from the school.
Moms for Liberty are exerting influence on Lexington County (SC) school board races.
Conway School Board (AR) voted to remove two challenged transgender books despite a committee’s recommendation to keep them.
The Arkansas group Craighead Citizens Taxed Enough has filed paperwork to defund the Jonesboro Public Library over its LGBTQ Pride display.
A North Alabama drag show was canceled in the wake of violent threats.
Sumner County (TN) debates banning A Place Inside of Me from schools. The book is about a Black boy who lost a friend after a police shooting.
Pleasant Valley School District (TN) returns a group of books that Moms for Liberty had challenged to the shelves.
Centralia Public Library (MO) board votes against restricting access to books.
Potential Missouri governmental candidate, Jay Ashcroft, floats a library book ban policy.
“Access equals equity:” Anti-censorship advocates fear the impact of Missouri’s new book ban legislation.
Elmbrook (WI) schools are reviewing their policy on censored books, which appears to be part of a coordinated statewide effort to remove books from schools and libraries.
A Kenosha (WI) County Board supervisor is complaining that Kenosha’s 2023 Big Read selection is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. (I grew up very close to Kenosha, and this is…disappointing.)
A Springfield (IL) school librarian is facing backlash online for promoting Gender Queer.
The Carroll Community School District Board of Education discusses their reconsideration policies.
The Dearborn (MI) school board meeting on Monday devolved into absolute chaos, with hundreds of protestors calling for LGBTQ books to be removed and the fire marshal having to shut down the meeting due to the number of people in the building.
A Michigan police officer is running for a school board position on the basis that more books should be removed from the schools.
Parents object to Spring Lakes (MI) schools deciding to keep Gender Queer in libraries.
Hundreds turn out for public comment at the Bartholomew County Public Library board meeting (IN), where the debate continues about moving “inappropriate” materials out of the teen section.
A group of state legislators are calling for an investigation into the Nebraska Department of Education for “left wing agenda items” on the Launch Nebraska website.
Here’s another biased-as-hell article: Dickinson Public Library (ND) to offer controversial teen sex book.
Bozeman Public Schools (MT) are revising their review policy for challenged materials.
So after all the hoopla over the Montana State Library’s redesigned library looking too much like a Pride flag, this is the updated version. Someone, please tell me how the second logo is significantly different.
Casper City (WY) Council candidate called a teacher a pedophile after the teacher spoke out against banning Gender Queer.
The former Boundary County Library (ID) director talks more about what led up to her resignation.
An Idaho student won a school board seat, and he has a message for students everywhere.
Washington County School District (UT) officials faced questions from the Washington County Republican Women’s group about returning “porn” to libraries.
Conservatives are waging a war for control over California school boards.
Granite Bay High School (CA) approves a list of “controversial” materials for use in classrooms.
Another example of people not being able to back up their ridiculous claims. (CA)
Chilliwack (BC) students shoot a video to counter the homophobia and bigotry of the upcoming school board election.
Defunding a library is a symptom of blind populism.
Today’s book bans echo a panic against comic books in the 1950s.
Should you care if your teen wants to read a banned book? (Spoiler: No.)
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Books & Authors in the News
Celeste Ng has been named the first official Indie Bookstore Ambassador by IndieBound!
A Trump political committee bought $158,000 worth of books shortly after Jared Kushner released his memoir.
Numbers & Trends
A letter from John Steinbeck written to his son has sold for over $32,000 at auction.
Award News
Shehan Karunatilaka has won the 2022 Booker Prize for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.
The 2022 MacArthur fellows have been announced — here are the literary selections.
Pop Cultured
If you have any true crime aficionados who use the library, they’ll appreciate this tidbit: Anna Delvey has been released from jail, but barred from social media.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
Crown Publishing and We Need Diverse Books have launched the Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, which will provide scholarships for public high school students.
Amazon has been quietly making changes to their Kindle policies.
On the Riot
How dynamic shelving can change your library.
This Rioter didn’t become a reader until they were 16, and that’s totally fine.
Blaine sent me this photo right before I was about to start a meeting, so when everyone sat down, I held out my phone and said, “I’d like to start this meeting with a cat photo.” Dini decided that Blaine had spent enough time on the computer, and it was time to pay attention to Mr. Dini Doodles.
All right. It’s the weekend. Deep breaths, and I’ll see you next Tuesday.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.