Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I am exhausted and very much disliking the gray December gloom that has descended on the Chicago area, but I have one thing giving me joy right now, and that is the trailer for the movie 65, which has space action — Adam Driver saving a child and fighting off dinosaurs. It’s Aliens plus Jurassic Park plus Adam Driver, and I am LIVING FOR IT. The universe recognized what I needed right now, and I hope that trailer brings a little joy to some of you as well.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
NYC libraries say that Eric Adams’ proposed budget cuts “may push us over the edge.”
The first Washington state library for incarcerated youth is set to open in January.
Worth Reading
What’s more important for the town of McFarland, California? A library or a police station?
Public libraries need partnerships.
Meet the warrior librarians of Ukraine.
Book Adaptations in the News
We Were Liars is being adapted as a series at Amazon.
Don Winslow’s The Border is being adapted as an FX series.
Mike Flanagan’s The Midnight Club is not being renewed for a second season, so he wrote this blog post to show what WOULD have happened in Season 2.
However, in better Mike Flanagan news, he’s been tapped to do an adaptation of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series! Here’s hoping it’s better than the most recent film adaptation.
Reese Witherspoon is reprising her role as Tracy Flick (from 1999’s Election) in the adaptation of Tracy Flick Can’t Win.
Season 2 of Shadow and Bone will be released on Netflix on March 16th.
Season 3 trailer for Jack Ryan.
New trailer for The Pale Blue Eye.
Banned & Challenged Books
What is mis-, dis-, and mal-information?
Kirk Cameron attempts to capitalize on the banned book nonsense by pitching his faith-centered children’s book for public library storytime, and then complaining that fifty libraries have denied his request.
League City Council (TX) passed a resolution to restrict public library content to minors, even though a large majority of the 63 speakers in attendance spoke against the resolution.
A new billboard has gone up in Texas, urging residents to “Ban censorship, not books.”
New York parents have formed a counter organization called Defense of Democracy to push back against Moms for Liberty and other similar groups.
A Hollidaysburg (PA) high school senior was heckled while speaking out against the push to remove Gender Queer at a recent board meeting, and broke down in tears. Just absolutely horrendous behavior from adults who should be ashamed and embarrassed of how they behaved, but obviously won’t be.
Nearly 1,000 people have applied to join a Frederick County Public Schools committee that will review 35 books to decide if they should be removed or not. I just love seeing the expertise of teachers and librarians devalued by opening these decisions to the entire community. /s
Three school board candidates in Catawba County (NC) were just sworn in. These candidates have challenged multiple books in the school libraries, and one of them has admitted she had not read the books that she was moving to ban, but she wanted to make it easier to remove them from school libraries anyway.
The Greenville County (SC) Library System board elected to move the parenting section farther away from the children’s section, and what I appreciate is that the article mentions that this move is based on an “erroneous claim,” and was decided with little discussion.
The Missouri ACLU and a group of students are suing the Independence school district for banning Cats vs. Robots. The book was banned because it features a nonbinary character.
The St. Clair (MO) district pulled The Hate U Give from library shelves. The superintendent said the book “contains significant profanity and violence, and can be read as having an anti-law enforcement agenda. The book does not lend itself to our written curriculum and is not seen as essential to the district’s educational mission.”
Salem-South Lyon (MI) library board votes to keep 16 challenged books.
Marathon County Public Library (WI) elects to keep the books Making a Baby and You Be You! The Kid’s Guide to Gender, Sexuality and Family, saying that the educational value outweighed the concerns over sexually explicit material.
Southwest Valley School District (IA) upholds the use of Warriors Don’t Cry in its high school English curriculum.
After contentious debate, St. Marys (KS) city commissioners unanimously voted to renew the library’s lease without restriction through December 2023.
Can we please stop calling Moms for Liberty “advocates?” And stop featuring them as the primary photo for these articles? These so-called “advocates” are searching for “pornographic material” being used in District 11 in Colorado Springs, which often translates to “LGBTQ-inclusive.” Never mind the fact that there was a deadly shooting at a LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs less than a month ago.
Kalispell Public Schools (MT) decide to keep Drama on library shelves.
Washington County (UT) School District removes 14 additional books from libraries after being found in violation of the Sensitive Materials in Schools bill. However, it’s only a small group of parents across the state who are working to ban books in school libraries.
A Cody, Wyoming resident is upset that the high school elected to keep If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo, and is upset with the reasoning that the book is not pornographic, and is instrumental in “helping students learn to be empathetic and compassionate towards those who are different than themselves.”
Crook County Library (OR) is facing pressure to label LGBTQ books and remove them from the children’s section. However, the director explains exactly why this is a bad idea.
The San Juan Capistrano Sheriff’s Department investigated anti-LGBTQ bomb threats made against the Capo Unified School District. This came after a Fox News report of a teacher at the school who allegedly had sexually explicit material in their classroom.
A resident introduced a motion for the Greater Essex County District School Board (ON) to publish a list of all new books being introduced into schools. “Ultimately, none of the other trustees supported the motion.”
Russian stores pull LGBTQ-themed books as Putin signs an expanded “gay propaganda” ban.
Books & Authors in the News
In news that should surprise no one, one of Trump’s political committees bought $48,000 worth of books from Donald Jr.’s publishing company.
Numbers & Trends
These were the most-read books on Goodreads in 2022.
The best-selling books of the week.
A very serious 2023 bookish trend forecast.
Award News
Here are the 2023 Golden Globe nominees.
Noor Naga wins the 2022 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize for If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English.
The 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced.
The 2022 Kids’ Book Choice Awards have been announced.
Pop Cultured
Continuing with the Theranos/Bad Blood updates, Sunny Balwani was sentenced to nearly 13 years for his role in the Theranos fraud.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
How the pandemic affected our approach to reading and interpretation of books.
On the Riot
Getting crafty in the library.
When living it up meant looking it up: this Rioter’s ode to the reference books of yore.
2023 adaptations to get excited about.
John Lewis and Tomie dePaola will be featured on USPS stamps in 2023.
Are books about the pandemic cathartic or stressful? (I vote stressful.)
For a month, this reader started reading their books at the end. (I honestly can’t even comprehend this level of chaos, but to each their own.)
Easy bookish holiday traditions to start this holiday season.
Books we wish we could re-read for the first time.
I can’t handle how perfect this photo is of Gilbert. Honestly, one of the best ones we’ve ever taken. Behold Gilbert in all of his regal, angelic, sweet-faced glory!
Okay, everyone. I’m out. Check in again next week!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently listening to Hokolua Road by Elizabeth Hand.