Saline County Judge fires library director after months of debate over children’s access to books; Arkansas Advocate, October 9, 2023

 TESS VRBIN, Arkansas Advocate; Saline County Judge fires library director after months of debate over children’s access to books

"The Saline County judge fired the director of the county library system Monday, seven weeks after county officials gave the judge some power to hire and fire library staff.

Patty Hector, who ran the Saline County Library for seven years, said County Judge Matt Brumley and county human resources director Christy Peterson told her in person Monday morning that her “services are no longer needed.”"

Judge blocks Arkansas law allowing librarians to be criminally charged over ‘harmful’ materials; AP, July 29, 2023

AP; Judge blocks Arkansas law allowing librarians to be criminally charged over ‘harmful’ materials

"Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday."

Arkansas Supreme Court closing Office of Ethics Counsel; Arkansas Democrat Gazette, July 14, 2023

Will Langhorne, Arkansas Democrat Gazette ; Arkansas Supreme Court closing Office of Ethics Counsel

"The Arkansas Supreme Court on Friday announced plans to close an office it established two years ago to provide attorneys with guidance and responses to ethical questions.

In a succinct order, justices said the high court's Office of Ethics Counsel, which is supported by annual law license fees paid by attorneys, would no longer be funded as of Aug. 1 because of budgetary constraints within the Supreme Courts' Bar of Arkansas account."

Librarians sue Arkansas state over law banning them from giving ‘obscene’ books to children; The Guardian, May 31, 2023

 Sarah Shaffi, The Guardian; Librarians sue Arkansas state over law banning them from giving ‘obscene’ books to children

"The American Library Association and the Authors Guild are among a group of organisations bringing a lawsuit against the state of Arkansas over a law which makes it a crime for librarians to give children books with “obscene” content.

The lawsuit involves 17 plaintiffs, including the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), the Association of American Publishers and the American Booksellers Association.

The groups are aiming to challenge Senate bill 81, which exposes librarians who provide “obscene materials” to children to criminal liability. The law, part of Act 372 of 2023, is due go to come into force on 1 August."