Oscar Noms and Other Awards

Libraries & Librarians

Cool Library Updates

Little Free Library is launching the Indigenous Library Program, which will distribute book-sharing boxes to tribal lands and other Indigenous communities.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library is distributing 20,000 free, refurbished laptops to eligible adults.

Book Adaptations in the News

The adaptation of Stephen King’s short story “The Boogeyman” has moved from Hulu to a theatrical release.

Henry James’ novella The Beast in the Jungle is getting a film adaptation.

Stephen Colbert is adapting The Chronicles of Amber (one of George RR Martin’s favorite books) into a TV series.

Outlander is ending after Season 8.

The Gossip Girl reboot on HBO will end after two seasons.

How do you adapt a book into a TV show?

Here’s the trailer for Dear Edward.

Banned & Challenged Books

A look at the recently proposed legislation to eliminate LGBTQ+ and “obscene” books. Plus, how to fight new obscenity laws targeting librarians.

Book bans are driving kids away from reading.

Students want new books. Thanks to restrictions, librarians can’t buy them.

McKinney ISD (TX) has changed its definition of “obscene,” making it MUCH easier to have books removed. Objectionable content no longer needs to be taken in the context of the work as a whole, so books can easily be removed due to controversial paragraphs, and challengers won’t have to indicate that they’ve read the book(s) in their entirety.

Conroe ISD (TX) is keeping The Perks of Being a Wallflower for the time being, but they’re considering changing library policies so that parents have to opt IN to allow their kids to check out certain books. The default library position would be to restrict access for EVERYONE.

Florida teachers have been told to remove “unvetted” books from their classroom libraries or risk felony prosecution.

DeSantis has rejected a College Board request to approve an African-American Studies course in his state on the grounds that the course violates state law.

These books and authors were the most challenged in Louisiana libraries.

In Rapides Parish (LA), the library board is seeking legal guidance on a proposed (and likely unconstitutional) amendment to the collection development policy. Only problem is that the legal counsel is coming from the attorney general who set up a public tip line for people to report inappropriate books in libraries. This doesn’t bode well.

A group of LGBTQ supporters came to protest a “Pastor Story Hour” that a right-wing pastor decided to hold at the Chelmsford Public Library (CT).

A new school board for Ocean City (NJ) has sparked concern for the LGBTQ community, since several of the new trustees are members of Moms for Liberty.

Ephrata Area Schools (PA) have placed a ridiculous burden on library staff in terms of ensuring that students don’t have access to any topics that haven’t been approved by their parents.

The Punxsutawney Area School Board (PA) has approved the high school curriculum guide, despite the fact that some of the trustees are concerned about CRT. The most ridiculous example was a trustee pushing back against the use of Devil in the White City: “Evans continued to say she also has concerns about a book in the reading list for AP English, “Devil in the White City.” Evans said though the book is based on a true story, there are ‘a lot of satanic messages’ in the book. ‘I read… just the description of the book, didn’t read the book, but I just don’t think that that’s anything our kids should be subjected to,’ Evans said.”

Norwin School District (PA) is facing a book challenge from a board member.

Frederick County Public Schools (MD) will delay the launch of a challenged book review committee due to an Open Meetings Act violation. The committee consists of 60 (!!!) people.

21 additional books have been removed from the Madison County (VA) high school library.

Isle of Wight County (VA) school board postponed a vote on a proposal that would ban “divisive concepts” due to a significant amount of pushback. For example…how the hell do you define “divisive concepts” in the first place?

Beaufort County Schools (SC) uphold the recent committee decisions to return the first of 6 challenged books to library shelves.

Moms for Liberty expand into Horry County (SC). “We’re just a group of parents that have decided that we want to have more of a say in our kids’ education.” This is such a pile of horse crap.

Walker County schools (GA) are hearing from parents who “are in no way requesting a ban” on multiple books.

The new board of the Crawford County Library (AR) is considering a proposal where they review all of the book purchases for the library.

A group of right-wing parents have made rape and death threats towards the Milan (MI) school board.

Portage Public Schools (MI) removed Push from the school library after receiving a complaint from someone who doesn’t even have students in the district.

Faribault Public Schools (MN) have brought on a new trustee who has ties to the anti-LGBTQ hate group MassResistance.

Fremont Public School administration (NE) have finished reviewing Sex is a Funny Word, but the decision hasn’t been released yet because the person who raised the challenge hasn’t received the written decision in the mail yet.

Owasso Public Schools (OK) have finished reviewing all 6,000 graphic novels, but flagged 17 for further review.

The Sheridan County School District 2 (WY) is listening to a couple of non-expert community members about why books need rating systems.

Books & Authors in the News

Trump has threatened to sue former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz and Simon & Schuster over Pomerantz’s upcoming tell-all memoir.

Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney is concerned that Pomerantz’s book release could jeopardize his office’s continuing probe into Trump.

Katy ISD canceled a visit from Emma Straub because she dropped an F-bomb in a social media post. The kicker? This post was in regards to the Uvalde shooting, and parents thought that the swearing was the worst of the two problems.