ALI VELSHI BANNED BOOK CLUB WITH THE MOST BANNED AUTHOR IN THE COUNTRY; The Philadelphia Citizen, July 28, 2025

 ALI VELSHI, The Philadelphia Citizen; ALI VELSHI BANNED BOOK CLUB WITH THE MOST BANNED AUTHOR IN THE COUNTRY

"While book bans have fallen out of the news cycle, the assault on information and the freedom to read continues to be deployed against our libraries, schools, and the general public. Ali Velshi points out that since January 2025, 133 bills have been introduced in 33 states that would negatively affect libraries, librarians, and access to literature. 

This legislation seeks to cut funding, restrict literary content, and even criminalize school librarians, all with the ultimate goal of censorship.

Fortunately, particularly in red states, citizens are standing up for their rights and successfully fighting these efforts. Coalitions of libraries, publishers, families, nonprofits, and other activists are organizing, protesting, testifying, putting pressure on elected officials, and filing lawsuits.

Velshi Banned Book Club’s very first member, George M. Johnson, author of All Boys Aren’t Blue and Flamboyants, returned to discuss state and school district book bans, legislation, and the lawsuits challenging them. “The lawsuits are helping in a myriad of ways,” says Johnson. “You have to go through the discovery process, that’s when you really start to realize what the true motives are.”"

Michigan Library Association launches petition to protect right to read; WKAR, July 28, 2025

Ed Coury , WKAR; Michigan Library Association launches petition to protect right to read

"The Patmos Library, located in the small western Michigan town, faced backlash over its inclusion of LGBTQ+-related material. Voters chose to withhold public funding for the library in 2022, effectively defunding it. Community members later raised nearly $100,000 to keep the library operational.

The association’s petition drive is supported by a statewide Epic-MRA poll conducted in June. Commissioned by the Michigan Library Association, the poll found that nearly 80% of voters approve of the work being done by libraries in the state, and 75% trust librarians to make decisions about which books should be available.

The Michigan Library Association says it hopes the petition will send a clear message to lawmakers about the value residents place on intellectual freedom and access to information."

Trump has fired the head of the Library of Congress, but the 225-year-old institution remains a ‘library for all’ – so far; The Conversation, July 23, 2025

Alex H. Poole, Associate Professor of Information Science, Drexel University , The Conversation; Trump has fired the head of the Library of Congress, but the 225-year-old institution remains a ‘library for all’ – so far

"A library for all

Following Hayden’s dismissal, Trump appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, as acting librarian of Congress. 

Hayden has contended that her dismissal, which occurred alongside other firings of top civil servants, including the national archivist, represents a broad threat to people’s right to easily access free information. 

“Democracies are not to be taken for granted,” Hayden said in June. She explained in an interview with CBS that she never had a problem with a presidential administration and is not sure why she was dismissed. 

“And the institutions that support democracy should not be taken for granted,” Hayden added. 

In her final annual report as librarian, Hayden characterized the institution as “truly, a library for all.” So far, even without her leadership, it remains just that."

Taking a stand against book bans; American Psychological Association, July 1, 2025

 Rachel Brooks, American Psychological Association; Taking a stand against book bans

"Increasingly, health professionals are engaging in advocacy across their varied life roles: as community members, parents, library patrons, and voters. Psychologists can emphasize that a full range of books teaches students to be critical interpreters of their world, a skill essential for evidence-based practice in clinical and research careers—and for an educated and democratic society."

Progressive parents in Oklahoma offer blueprint to mess with MAGA censorship; Salon, July 2, 2025

AMANDA MARCOTTE , Salon; Progressive parents in Oklahoma offer blueprint to mess with MAGA censorship

"Alito, who is as intellectually dishonest as he is self-pitying, tried to pretend the decision was a “compromise.” He repeatedly misrepresented the content of the books with hysterical language. As legal analyst Mark Joseph Stern explained at Slate, Alito “reframes these utterly innocent children’s books as insidious propaganda designed to brainwash children.” The goal here is not only to reinscribe blatant homophobia into the law, but also to minimize the impact of the decision by implying it only impacts “gay” books. But it’s far broader than that, as Vox legal journalist Ian Millhiser notes. The ruling empowers “parents who object to any form of classroom instruction on religious grounds” to demand opt-out rights — or the school to censor the material entirely. Stern continues:

The problem with this request is that schools cannot possibly know, in advance, which religious views are held by which parents, and which books or lessons those parents might find objectionable. In the past, parents have sued school districts objecting, on religious grounds, to lessons that touch on topics as diverse as divorce, interfaith couples and “immodest dress.” They’ve objected to books which expose readers to evolution, pacifism, magic, women achieving things outside of the home and “false views of death.”"

2012 Video of Bill Moyers on the Freedom to Read and the "Bane of Banning Books"; Ethics, Info, Tech: Contested Voices, Values, Spaces, July 3, 2025

Kip Currier; 2012 Video of Bill Moyers on the Freedom to Read and the "Bane of Banning Books"

Nobody writes more illuminating "I-didn't-know-THAT-about-that-person" obituaries than the New York Times. (I didn't know, for example, that Moyers was an ordained Baptist minister.) And, true to form, the Times has an excellent obituary detailing the service-focused life of Bill Moyers, who passed away on June 26, 2025 at the age of 91. 

The moment I learned of his death, my mind went to a 3-minute video clip of Moyers that I've continued to use in a graduate ethics course lecture I give on Intellectual Freedom and Censorship. The clip is from 2012 but the vital importance of libraries and the freedom to read that Moyers extolls is as timely and essential as ever, given the explosion of book bans and censorship besetting the U.S. right now.

Below is a description of the video clip and this is the video link:

"The Bane of Banned Books

September 25, 2012

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the American Library Association’s “Banned Books Week,” Bill talks about the impact libraries have had on his youth, his dismay over book challenges in modern times, and why censorship is the biggest enemy of truth."

https://billmoyers.com/content/the-bane-of-banned-books/

Ohio libraries celebrate veto of budget measure censoring materials; Ohio Capital Journal, July 1, 2025

SUSAN TEBBEN , Ohio Capital Journal; Ohio libraries celebrate veto of budget measure censoring materials

"The General Assembly still has the chance to override the veto with a three-fifths vote, but it would do so after libraries and advocates across the state stood staunchly against the measure.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library posted a statement to their social media applauding DeWine’s veto, calling it “a significant win for intellectual freedom and the right of every Ohioan to freely access information at their library.”

Jade Braden, a circulation assistant for Worthington Libraries, said the veto “helps ensure that library professionals, not statehouse politicians, continue to make choices about how we serve our entire community, what materials we provide and how we display those materials in our libraries.”

“Protecting intellectual freedom is an ongoing battle in which we will always need to be vigilant,” Braden told the OCJ. “The fight for our community and their right to read is one we continually dedicate ourselves to.”"

KY library book challenges rose 1,000% in 2024. That’s not a typo. What happened?; Lexington Herald Leader, June 30, 2025

John Cheves , Lexington Herald Leader; KY library book challenges rose 1,000% in 2024. That’s not a typo. What happened?

"Challenges to Kentucky public library books soared by 1,061% last year, rising from 26 incidents in 2023 to 302 incidents in 2024, according to a recently released state report. That eye-popping number is buried in small type at the bottom of page six of the annual Statistical Report of Kentucky Public Libraries, published in April by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives."

Pierce County, GA library manager fired following book display including book about trans boy; FirstCoastNews, June 20, 2025

 Riley Phillips, FirstCoastNews; Pierce County, GA library manager fired following book display including book about trans boy

"A longtime employee of the library in Pierce County, Georgia has been fired after a controversial book display including a book about a transgender boy.

Lavonnia Moore was the library manager at the Pierce County Library. Her sister, Alicia Moore, spoke with First Coast News Friday. She said Lavonnia’s dreams were shattered Wednesday when she was fired from her position because of a book in a summer reading display...

Alicia said Lavonnia had been with the library system for 15 years and worked her way up from part-time clerk to library manager.

She explained the book that led to her firing is called When Aiden Became a Brother, a story of a transgender boy preparing for the birth of a new sibling.

The book drew sharp criticism from a community group called Alliance for Faith and Family, the same group that fought for the removal of a mural in the Waycross-Ware County Public Library. The group posted on social media urging people to reach out to the library system and county commissioners...

The book’s author Kyle Lukoff also weighed in. He told First Coast News he received a message about the librarian. He said "the story itself says everything I want it to, which is that trans people are a blessing," and encouraged people to read the book."

Unbound Pages: Authors Against Book Bans fights for the freedom to read; WGBH, June 20, 2025

Andrea Asuaje, WGBH; Unbound Pages: Authors Against Book Bans fights for the freedom to read

"Thousands of books are facing scrutiny throughout the country as the book-banning movement continues to gain support, from Florida, to Wisconsin and even New Hampshire. Now, hundreds of authors are using their voices off the page to spread awareness about the effect book bans have on democracy and free speech.

The organization Authors Against Book Bans (AABB), which was formed in 2024, is focused on the freedom to read and composed of authors from all genres who write for readers of all ages. Many of the members have had their work challenged or banned, like AABB board member, Adib Khorram, author of several books including the often-challenged or banned “Darius The Great Is Not Okay.” The book and its sequel, “Darius The Great Deserves Better,” have come under fire for addressing race, sexuality and, according to Khorram, Marxist ideology."

Censorship concerns: As Air Force Academy reviews books for removal, group forms to push back; The Gazette, June 9, 2025

MARY SHINN , The Gazette; Censorship concerns: As Air Force Academy reviews books for removal, group forms to push back

[Kip Currier: I'd like to read even a small part of this article, but unfortunately an absolute paywall prevents even one sentence in this article from being accessed and read.

I understand the idea that subscriptions are key to the business strategies and financial health of newspapers and magazines, as well as subscriptions being integral to the remuneration of the staff members of these media organizations.

However, it also strikes me that if you're a newspaper or a magazine and you're trying to attract new readers, you might want to provide access to at least one sentence.]

SC banned more school books than any other state. Can any be reinstated?; The Island Packet, June 5, 2025

Isabella Douglas, The Island Packet; SC banned more school books than any other state. Can any be reinstated?

"Following last month’s state education board meeting, South Carolina now leads the nation in the number of books removed from public schools. The books banned have drawn national backlash and packed board meetings with pleas from students, parents and advocacy groups. But with no formal process to reverse the ban, efforts to “unban” books face legal uncertainty, regulatory hurdles and no clear path forward.

At the heart of the controversy is Regulation 43-170, a policy that allows for the removal of public school library and classroom books that contain descriptions or images of sexual conduct."

This independent library champions banned books by Black women; Scripps News, May 29, 2025

Kadia Tubman , Scripps News; This independent library champions banned books by Black women

[Kip Currier: OlaRonke Akinmowo, creator of Brooklyn, New York's Free Black Women’s Library, personifies courage, fortitude, and determination.

Brava for promoting access to information and free expression, especially by and for marginalized and historically disenfranchised voices.]

[Excerpt]

"Public libraries are under intense pressure with their funding threatened and their books facing increased scrutiny, leaving independent libraries as one of the last safe spaces for people to access books free from political pressure.

The Free Black Women’s Library, a community and grassroots-funded library in Brooklyn, New York, has found a way to keep moving forward amid widespread cutbacks.

“They call it a third space. It's not a space where you work. It's not a space for you to shop. It's a space that doesn't involve spending money. It's a space where you get to be in community, where you can interact with your peers, where you get to experience conversation and creativity and fun,” OlaRonke Akinmowo, creator of the Free Black Women’s Library, told Scripps News. 

She added, "This space is different from a standard library because all the books are written by black women and black non-binary authors."

Akinmowo launched the library in 2015 with 100 books and a mission to showcase “the brilliant creativity and diversity of black women writers.”

The library’s collection has grown to more than 5,000 books, written by Black women and Black nonbinary authors, often featuring books that are being banned across the country.

“In this moment, I'm very much invested in making sure that people have access to all the so-called banned books,” Akinmowo said, while pointing out banned books sitting on shelves around the library. “There's tons of books in here that you won't see or find anywhere else.”

“They're trying to say that these books are a problem — are propaganda that needs to be erased, needs to be removed, needs to be set on fire,” she continued. “Not on my watch. I'm not going for that.”"

5th Circuit reverses injunction against Texas library that removed challenged books; Alabama Political Reporter, May 29, 2025

 JACOB HOLMES, Alabama Political Reporter; 5th Circuit reverses injunction against Texas library that removed challenged books

"The majority opinion took a derisive tone about the plaintiffs’ arguments, calling them “over-caffeinated.”

“We note with amusement (and some dismay) the unusually over-caffeinated arguments made in this case,” the majority wrote. “Judging from the rhetoric in the briefs, one would think Llano County had planned to stage a book burning in front of the library.” As an example, “one amicus intones, ‘Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people.’ Take a deep breath, everyone. No one is banning (or burning) books.”

The dissenting judges took issue with that tone.

“The majority—apparently ‘amuse[d]’ by expressions of concern regarding government censorship—disparages such concerns as ‘over-caffeinated’ because, if a library patron cannot find a particular book in their local public library, they can simply buy it,” the judges write. “This response is both disturbingly flippant and legally unsound. First, as should be obvious, libraries provide critical access to books and other materials for many Americans who cannot afford to buy every book that draws their interest, and recent history demonstrates that public libraries easily become the sites of frightful government censorship.”

APLS officials already touting the decision

That decision is already being touted by board members leading the Alabama Public Library Service, although Alabama falls in the 11th circuit, not the Fifth. 

“It’s so common sense, no library has every book that has ever been written,” Wahl told Jeff Poor on the Jeff Poor Show Tuesday. “Every library has to choose which books are in its collections and which are not. This is not book banning, this is not book burning. This is literally just deciding what is most edifying, what is most beneficial for our readers … This is not about politics, this is about what is best for our children and what is best that we put in front of them.”"

Most books pulled from Naval Academy library are back on the shelves in latest DEI turn; AP, May 21, 2025

LOLITA C. BALDOR , AP; Most books pulled from Naval Academy library are back on the shelves in latest DEI turn

"All but a few of the nearly 400 books that the U.S. Naval Academy removed from its library because they dealt with anti-racism and gender issues are back on the shelves after the newest Pentagon-ordered review — the latest turn in a dizzying effort to rid the military of materials related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Based on the new review, about 20 books from the academy’s library are being pulled aside to be checked, but that number includes some that weren’t identified or removed in last month’s initial purge of 381 books, defense officials told The Associated Press.

A few dozen books at the Air Force libraries — including at the Air Force Academy — also have been pulled out for review, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is still ongoing."

Librarians, supporters rail against new regime at Alabama Public Library Service; Alabama Political Reporter, May 9, 2025

JACOB HOLMES,  Alabama Political Reporter; 

Librarians, supporters rail against new regime at Alabama Public Library Service

"More than 30 people showed up to speak out at the latest Alabama Public Library Service meeting on Thursday, with the vast majority expressing harsh criticism of the board’s actions since Chairman John Wahl took over."

Pentagon directs military to pull library books that address diversity, anti-racism, gender issues; Associated Press (AP), May 9, 2025

 LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press (AP); Pentagon directs military to pull library books that address diversity, anti-racism, gender issues

"The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on Friday.

It is the broadest and most detailed directive so far on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign to rid the military of diversity and equity programs, policies and instructional materials. And it follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries at the military academies."

West Point Is Supposed to Educate, Not Indoctrinate; The New York Times, May 8, 2025

Graham Parsons. Dr. Parsons is a professor of philosophy at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he studies and teaches military ethics., The New York Times; West Point Is Supposed to Educate, Not Indoctrinate

"It turned out to be easy to undermine West Point. All it took was an executive order from President Trump and a memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dictating what could and couldn’t be taught in the military and its educational institutions.

In a matter of days, the United States Military Academy at West Point abandoned its core principles. Once a school that strove to give cadets the broad-based, critical-minded, nonpartisan education they need for careers as Army officers, it was suddenly eliminating courses, modifying syllabuses and censoring arguments to comport with the ideological tastes of the Trump administration.

I will be resigning after this semester from my tenured position at West Point after 13 years on the faculty. I cannot tolerate these changes, which prevent me from doing my job responsibly. I am ashamed to be associated with the academy in its current form."

Students at Pentagon schools sue Hegseth over book bans on race and gender; The Guardian, April 15, 2025

Ed Pilkington , The Guardian; Students at Pentagon schools sue Hegseth over book bans on race and gender

"Twelve students studying in Pentagon schools in the US and around the world are suing the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, over the book bans he has instigated to remove titles on race and gender from their libraries.

A lawsuit lodged on the students’ behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Tuesday argues that their first amendment rights are being irreparably harmed. The complaint says that the censorship has been applied system-wide across Pentagon schools, and was endangering children by preventing them from learning critical information about health, hygiene, biology and abuse.

The legal action targets Hegseth, the former Fox News host, who has been aggressively pursuing the censorship drive as part of Donald Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It also names as a defendant the head of the Pentagon school system, Beth Schiavino-Narvaez."

Who’s In and Who’s Out at the Naval Academy’s Library?; The Guardian, April 11, 2025

John Ismay, The Guardian; Who’s In and Who’s Out at the Naval Academy’s Library?

"Gone is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou’s transformative best-selling 1970 memoir chronicling her struggles with racism and trauma.

Two copies of “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler are still on the shelves.

Gone is “Memorializing the Holocaust,” Janet Jacobs’s 2010 examination of how female victims of the Holocaust have been portrayed and remembered.

“The Camp of the Saints” by Jean Raspail is still on the shelves. The 1973 novel, which envisions a takeover of the Western world by immigrants from developing countries, has been embraced by white supremacists and promoted by Stephen Miller, a senior White House adviser.

“The Bell Curve,” which argues that Black men and women are genetically less intelligent than white people, is still there. But a critique of the book was pulled.

The Trump administration’s decision to order the banning of certain books from the U.S. Naval Academy’s library is a case study in ideological censorship, alumni and academics say.

Political appointees in the Department of the Navy’s leadership decided which books to remove. A look at the list showed that antiracists were targeted, laying bare the contradictions in the assault on so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies."