Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m delighted to announce that my ensemble for my friends’ Pride party tomorrow has come together! I found a Bianca del Rio T-shirt, and I managed to do a very passable rainbow eyeshadow look! (I know I’m coming across as an overly excitable cis-hetero woman for this Pride party, but I’m super pumped to see my friends and celebrate our wonderful selves!)
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Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
The Washington Post tells staff it’s pivoting to AI. Although this isn’t specifically about libraries, it’s definitely relevant.
Cool Library Updates
A Wisconsin public library is waiving damage fees in exchange for photos of the pets behind the damage.
Worth Reading
Book Adaptations in the News
Here’s a first look at Tobias Santelmann as Harry Hole in the upcoming Netflix adaptation.
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is being turned into a “dark spangly” stage musical.
Jessica Lange is starring in the film adaptation of The Year of Magical Thinking.
Casting update for The Sandman Season 2.
Trailer for Part 2 of Bridgerton Season 3.
Censorship News
Here’s where library workers are prohibited from their own professional organization.
Anti-LGBTQ censorship is endangering trans people behind bars.
Conservative commentator Stew Peters is calling for his supporters to burn books. “If we demand that the classroom bookcases and school library shelves be cleansed of filth and perversion and pedophilic materials, then we’re called a bunch of ‘book burners,'” Peters said. “Well guess what? That’s exactly what we are and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
The Digital Public Library of America announced a new “Banned Book of the Week” feature.
The authors of And Tango Makes Three have filed a lawsuit against Nassau County Public Schools (FL) for removing the book from library shelves. This is similar to the pending lawsuit they’ve filed against Escambia County schools.
Three Mount Joy Township (PA) residents (including an Elizabethtown school board member “spoke against the Elizabethtown Public Library ever hosting or promoting a Drag Queen Story Hour like the March event canceled at the Lancaster Public Library because of a bomb threat.”
Harford County School District (MD) is looking for residents who are interested in serving on the new Library Materials Reconsideration Committee.
Franklin County (VA) resident Keith Johnson is upset with the school’s recent policy change, which prohibits residents from submitting book challenges if they don’t have a student in the district. Johnson alone has submitted over a dozen book challenges.
“Lawmakers, school board members and advocacy groups called for changes to state laws governing obscenity and book selection criteria in public schools at a May 15 press conference held by the conservative nonprofit NC Values Coalition.”
“PFLAG of Southern Pines, a newly formed LGBTQ+ group, and Public School Advocates (PSA) recently filed an official Title IX complaint against Moore County Schools [NC] with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.”
“The Cobb County School District [GA] has pulled another book from the shelves of its school libraries as Superintendent Chris Ragsdale continues to defend the book removal process against a civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education.”
Despite the Alabama Public Library Service passing a set of draconian new rules catering to right-wing book banning demands, the state legislature still cut the APLS budget by 9%.
Two Limestone County residents petitioned the Alabama Public Library Service Board of Trustees to withhold state funding from the Athens-Limestone Public Library because they think the library is distributing pornographic materials to children.
The Autuga-Prattville Public Library made it onto MSNBC due to the pending lawsuit against the library’s anti-LGBTQ policy. “They’re trying to say gay without saying gay.”
A St. Charles City-County Library (MO) employee is suing a group of library harassers who “have put her in danger, damaged her reputation by falsely accusing her of sexually targeting children and interfered with her employment by making her the focus of ‘Homolak’s anti-transgender community engagement activities.’”
The Williamson County (TN) school board grapples with the fact that they’re in a no-win situation when it comes to banning books as dictated by state law.
“Daviess County [KY] Commissioner Janie Marksberry riled many of those in attendance at the Daviess County Public Library board meeting Wednesday when she spoke about the book Let’s Talk About It during open comments.” Apparently this book, which is written for teenage readers, is not appropriate for teenage readers, according to someone who is not a librarian or a trained youth media specialist.
A bomb squad was called to the Holland Library (OH) after a staff member found a suspicious item next to a book about explosives.
The Troy school board (OH) voted to remove two books from the district. Worth mentioning: “Board members indicated they had read the books or excerpts from them.” (Emphasis mine.)
“A Republican-led bill just introduced in the Ohio House would charge teachers and librarians with a felony offense for distributing material deemed ‘obscene.’”
The Illinois House has passed a bill designed to protect the safety of library workers after the string of bomb threats from last year.
The Orion School Board (IL) heard from students and teachers protesting the superintendent’s decision to remove Fun Home from a dual-credit course with the local community college. As one of the students said, the book may be meant for mature audiences, but so is the course.
(Paywalled): Library books once again take center stage at a recent Kearney Public School board meeting (NE).
“A new rubric Oklahoma is using to review K-12 school textbooks asks whether learning materials “degrade traditional roles of men and women,” promote “illegal lifestyles” or neglect the importance of religion in preserving American liberties.”
“Billings Public Schools [MT] librarians said this week it was ironic they were being recognized for the Pat Williams Intellectual Freedom Award from the Montana Library Association at the same time the school board was considering undercutting their work.”
Higley Unified School District (AZ) heard from a resident who was upset that the school was using Nineteen Minutes as one of several titles for an independent reading assignment. His primary focus was on the “extremely sexually explicit” content and not on the fact that the book is about a school shooting, which is a far more deadly threat to students than books.
A recall petition has been filed against City Councilor Steve Dillard over his call for age restrictions on books at the Seaside Public Library (OR).
A recent Huntington Beach (CA) city council meeting was heavily attended by residents protesting the potential privatization of the public library system.
“A heated debate erupted at the Encinitas Union School District [CA] over the children’s book My Shadow is Pink, drawing activists from across the county.”
Books & Authors in the News
Caleb Carr, author of The Alienist, has died at 68.
Elin Hilderbrand announces her departure from her usual beach read fiction.
Numbers & Trends
Independent booksellers continued to expand in 2023.
Why are so many celebrities writing children’s books?
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
On the Riot
2024 summer reading clubs for kids and teens.
The most popular shows and movies on Netflix are adapted from books.
Which book tracking app is best?
If you don’t shelve your books by color, you don’t deserve books.
Every kid had the same school-issued planner. But…why? (Also, anyone who had these planners can undoubtedly smell the sour plastic from that photo. I certainly can.)
Dini was very excited to help us unpack our Trader Joe’s groceries! Or as I told Blaine, “Dini is living his Trader Joe’s fantasy right now.”
All right, friends. Have a great weekend – I’ll see you on Tuesday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.