Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It’s officially T-minus two months until my husband and I embark on our epic vacation to Alaska!! We’re picking out some easy hikes and noteworthy ice cream shops and planning to see some amazing views!
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Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
More info about the mass firing/resignation of Author Event staff at the Philadelphia Free Library. Meanwhile, the library previously said that there were no plans to cancel any of its Author Events, but that’s not the case anymore.
Cool Library Updates
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program is expanding to every zip code in Kentucky.
Book Adaptations in the News
Get those midnight margaritas ready…Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are in talks to return for a Practical Magic sequel!
There’s reportedly a Crazy Rich Asians TV show in the works.
Lionsgate has acquired the adaptation of Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy.
Gillian McAllister’s Just Another Missing Person is being adapted for TV.
James Rollins’ Sigma Force series is being adapted for TV.
Censorship News
How Alabama library supporters took action, and how you can too.
What’s a book ban? It depends on who you ask.
The year in hate and extremism: 2023.
A new anthology for teens is being published next year: Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights.
Kirk Cameron and Brave Books’ Storytime are coming back to libraries this year.
Princeton (TX) canceled its entire Pride event because Princeton TX Diverse was distributing banned books.
Documents reveal that a Fort Worth ISD (TX) board member is the only person pushing for library books to be removed. QUELLE SURPRISE.
Brownsville ISD (TX) has removed 5 books and is reviewing a list of over 600 additional titles to potentially remove. The pastor who presented the 600+ book list fully admits that it’s a “generic” list and that not every school district has all of the books. Because why do the work yourself when you can outsource your bigotry to the schools themselves?
“In a victory for the freedom to read, a federal judge in Austin, Tex., has found that a library board in Llano County likely infringed the constitutional rights of readers in the community by unilaterally removing books it deemed inappropriate. The judge has issued a preliminary injunction requiring that the banned books be immediately returned to the shelves and blocking the library from removing any other books while the case continues.”
Corpus Christi (TX) voted to keep four challenged titles, even after an appeal against one of the four books.
The Indian River County School Board (FL) banned a book about book bans because of “how it referenced other books that had been removed from schools and accused it of ‘teaching rebellion of school board authority.’” You can’t make this shit up.
Meanwhile, three Florida parents have sued the state over its recent book ban law, “ alleging the process for removing books unconstitutionally discriminates against parents who disagree with ‘the state’s favored viewpoint.’”
Florida revises its school library book removal training after public outcry.
Pinellas County Schools (FL) voted to ban Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk at all locations.
Hernando County School Board (FL) removed 19 books from school libraries.
Alachua County Schools (FL) voted to retain two challenged titles.
Philadelphia sets the world record for Drag Queen Story Hour attendance!
“The Virginia Beach Public Library is not sending out as many books and materials to Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ libraries as they once were now that new book screening ‘guidelines’ are in place.” Who wins here, honestly?
“A book challenge by Frederick County School Board [VA] Chairman Edward “Scott” Sturdivant has been reviewed by committees at both Millbrook and James Wood high schools.” Both schools refused to remove the book (Crank).
New Hanover (NC) board members are upset about the annual Battle of the Books event.
(Paywalled): Moms for Liberty wants more books banned from Huntsville (AL) libraries.
“A regulation on age-appropriate books in South Carolina’s schools that was widely assumed to be dead for the year will instead take effect in a month, unless a supermajority of legislators agree to block it.”
St. Joseph School District (MO) received its first book challenge over The Bluest Eye…And then they received 10 more challenges.
The St. Charles City Council (MO) passed a resolution against the recent announcement from the St. Charles Library Board that the library may have to close three locations due to supposed budget issues.
Tennessee activists and librarians are fighting a wave of challenges to books, many with LGBTQ+ themes.
“Board member Susan Horn requested Knox County Schools [TN] consider changes to policies about library materials that would specifically exclude materials if they depict sexual activity.”
“Images of naked men and women and drawings of sexual intercourse are included in books in both the adolescent and teen sections at the Alpena County Library [MI], a News review of the books confirmed this week.” Yes, because they’re age-appropriate books about puberty! Good grief, who writes these articles?
A Bourbonnais (IL) teacher used Looking For Alaska in her 8th-grade book club and has since been fired.
Iowa asks the federal courts to lift the injunction on the state’s book ban law, because really this law was meant “to support Iowa’s youth.”
Banishing Captain Underpants: An investigation of the 3400 books pulled in Iowa.
Meanwhile, the Orient-Macksburg school district could be the first school district in Iowa to close since 2015. It’s all connected, folks.
A Wichita (KS) pastor is encouraging members of his church to play a little game of “Hide the Pride” at the library this month. Meanwhile, the librarians remind everyone that checkouts show demand for materials, so it’s very likely that books will be replaced and collections will be expanded if the circulation numbers are high.
Book bans have become a powerful censorship tool in Colorado — here’s how librarians and patrons hold the line.
Campbell County Public Library (WY) board voted to move the book Be Amazing back to the children’s section where it belongs.
Here’s how Utah plans to enforce its statewide book ban law retroactively.
Someone fired a BB gun at one of the windows in the Newberg Public Library (OR), likely due to the Pride flag hanging in the window.
The Mat-Su School Board (AK) has banned seven titles with many more still under review.
Books & Authors in the News
Oprah picks Familiaris by David Wroblewski for her next book club selection.
Is the NYT bestseller list politically biased?
Numbers & Trends
A recent UK/Ireland study shows that children are reading fewer and less challenging books.
English language books are filling European bookstores, partially due to younger readers wanting their copies of books to match the English-language titles and book covers that they’ve seen on social media.
A majority of Canadians now get their books for free.
The most-read books on Goodreads last week.
The most popular books of the year so far, according to Goodreads.
The best-selling books of the week.
Award News
Colson Whitehead won the Gotham Book Prize for Crook Manifesto.
The Lambda Literary Awards were announced.
Baillie Gifford cancels all of its remaining sponsorships of literary festivals amidst the backlash against its ties to Israel and fossil fuels.
Pop Cultured
How do fandoms get their names?
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
Read your way through New Orleans.
Ursula K. LeGuin’s Oregon home will be converted into a writer’s residency.
On the Riot
Dini’s really hit-or-miss when it comes to snuggling, so I know better than to move when he gets all cuddly like this.
I’m out! Have a fabulous weekend, and I’ll see everyone on Tuesday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.