This robot cat offers purrfect companionship for Eugene public library patrons to check out; Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), October 28, 2023

 Rachael McDonald (KLCC), Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB); This robot cat offers purrfect companionship for Eugene public library patrons to check out

"And while anyone can take one home…

“They’re typically for folks who maybe are suffering memory loss or maybe just are living alone and kind of lonely,” Berry said. “But really anyone can check them out. They purr. They meow. They’re really fun to have.”

Berry’s coworker, Heather Sears, a children’s services supervisor, said the staff were so fond of the cats that they also got a couple for themselves. The staff cats are gray and white.

“Because they’re really calming,” Sears said. “There’s research that shows cats purring is therapeutic. So we have a kind of quiet room that we have placed one of our cats. Staff have actually really enjoyed that — maybe you had a stressful part of your day or something’s happened and you just need a moment, and you can come hang out with one of our cats that are here that are not circulating.”...

Cats are part of Library of Things collection

The Library of Things has been around since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Berry says they are always adding to the collection."

An AI engine scans a book. Is that copyright infringement or fair use?; Columbia Journalism Review, October 26, 2023

MATHEW INGRAM, Columbia Journalism Review; An AI engine scans a book. Is that copyright infringement or fair use?

"Determining whether LLMs training themselves on copyrighted text qualifies as fair use can be difficult even for experts—not just because AI is complicated, but because the concept of fair use is, too."

Cruise Stops All Driverless Taxi Operations in the United States; The New York Times, October 26, 2023

 Yiwen Lu, The New York Times; Cruise Stops All Driverless Taxi Operations in the United States

"Cruise said on Thursday evening that it would pause all driverless operations in the United States, two days after California regulators told the General Motors subsidiary to take its autonomous cars off the state’s roads. 

The decision affects Cruise’s robot taxi services in Austin, Texas, and Phoenix, where a limited number of public riders could hail paid rides. Noncommercial operations in Dallas, Houston and Miami were also paused.

Cruise did not say how long the halt will last. Testing of driverless vehicles with a safety driver behind the wheel will continue, the company said."

Maine Mass Shooting Disinformation Floods Social Media as Suspect Remains at Large; Wired, October 26, 2023

DAVID GILBERT , Wired; Maine Mass Shooting Disinformation Floods Social Media as Suspect Remains at Large

"“It’s as if everyone thinks disinformation is a problem, but not for them personally—only for other people,” Caroline Orr, a behavioral scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland who tracks disinformation online, wrote on X, adding: “When 20+ people are murdered in a mass shooting, and the reaction of most people on this website is: ‘How can I use this to push a political agenda?’ or ‘How can I use this to attack XYZ person?’ … that reflects something far more disturbing.”"

With War Raging, Colleges Confront a Crisis of Their Own Making; The New York Times, October 26, 2023

 Frank Bruni, The New York Times; With War Raging, Colleges Confront a Crisis of Their Own Making

"Remember the student complaints about and the subsequent dismissal of an art history lecturer at Hamline University in Minnesota who — after giving students a trigger warning, so they could opt out of class — showed a historically important painting of the Prophet Muhammad? Hamline’s president, Fayneese Miller, defended that sequence of events by saying that to not weigh academic freedom against a “debt to the traditions, beliefs and views of students” is a “privileged reaction.” 

That’s a troubling assertion, as Tom Nichols wrote in The Atlantic: “If you don’t want your traditions, beliefs or views challenged, then don’t come to a university, at least not to study anything in the humanities or the social sciences.”"

Why I let an AI chatbot train on my book; Vox, October 25, 2023

 Bryan Walsh, Vox; Why I let an AI chatbot train on my book

"What’s “fair use” for AI?

I think that training a chatbot for nonprofit, educational purposes, with the express permission of the authors of the works on which it’s trained, seems okay. But do novelists like George R.R. Martin or John Grisham have a case against for-profit companies that take their work without that express permission?

The law, unfortunately, is far from clear on this question." 

New Clarence Thomas ethics questions about forgiveness on luxury RV loan; NPR, October 25, 2023

 Nina Totenberg, NPR; New Clarence Thomas ethics questions about forgiveness on luxury RV loan

"The drip, drip, drip of new ethics questions about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's ethics continued Wednesday. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., disclosed that documents turned over to the committee indicate that Thomas benefitted by having some or all of a $267,000 loan forgiven in order to purchase a luxury RV."

How Americans View Data Privacy; Pew Research Center; Pew Research Center, October 18, 2023

COLLEEN MCCLAIN, MICHELLE FAVERIO, MONICA ANDERSON AND EUGENIE PARK, Pew Research Center; How Americans View Data Privacy

"In an era where every click, tap or keystroke leaves a digital trail, Americans remain uneasy and uncertain about their personal data and feel they have little control over how it’s used.

This wariness is even ticking up in some areas like government data collection, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted May 15-21, 2023.

Today, as in the past, most Americans are concerned about how companies and the government use their information. But there have been some changes in recent years:"

Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024; NPR, October 25, 2023

Rachel Treisman , NPR; Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024

"In a statement issued Wednesday, Scholastic said it will keep in mind the needs of the children it serves as well as educators facing local content restrictions. 

"It is unsettling that the current divisive landscape in the U.S. is creating an environment that could deny any child access to books, or that teachers could be penalized for creating access to all stories for their students," it wrote.

PEN America, the nonprofit organization that supports free speech, acknowledged Scholastic's dilemma and applauded its decision to pivot. 

"Scholastic recognized that, as difficult a bind as this pernicious legislation created, the right answer was not to become an accessory to censorship," Jonathan Friedman, the director of its Free Expression and Education program, said in a statement. "Scholastic is an essential source of knowledge and a delight for countless children. We are glad to see them champion the freedom to read.""

Kentucky school district bans more than 100 books, citing anti-LGBTQ+ law; Louisville Public Media, October 19, 2023

Jess Clark, Louisville Public Media; Kentucky school district bans more than 100 books, citing anti-LGBTQ+ law

"The law is the subject of several legal challenges by opponents who say its restrictions on speech and LGBTQ+ young people violate the state constitution.

Which books are banned?

It is unclear why each book was found objectionable under SB 150, but many of the books banned from Boyle County Schools feature LGBTQ+ characters and themes...

“Anne Frank” by Sid Jacobson is also banned from Junction City Elementary. It’s a graphic novel based on Anne Frank’s “Diary of a Young Girl” and depicts the teen’s hiding during Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

Fifty-five titles have been removed from Boyle County High School. They include many nonfiction books on LGBTQ+ identities, such as “Teens and LGBT Issues,” by Christine Wilcox and “Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights,” by Ann Bausum...

Here is a link to a list of the banned books, originally obtained by The Advocate Messenger."

Sarasota County asked to end ties to library associations over 'ideology, explicit' books; Herald-Tribune, October 25, 2023

Earle Kimel , Herald-Tribune; Sarasota County asked to end ties to library associations over 'ideology, explicit' books

"Citing policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, Michelle Pozzie called the ALA part of a “bigger umbrella of three-letter organizations that, believe it or not, push ideology over explicit material and not age appropriate material as well as DEI talking points – which is a pet peeve of our governor, so it should be, as a reflection, for you, too.”

Pozzie, who said she homeschooled two children, said libraries are not safe for children because of books that can found there, including the 2019 graphic novel “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe.

“Let me be clear, no one wants to ban books or censor speech but filth and ideology should not be funded in the taxpayer’s expense,” Pozzie said."

The fingerprints on a letter to Congress about AI; Politico, October 23, 2023

 BRENDAN BORDELON, Politico; The fingerprints on a letter to Congress about AI

"The message in the open letter sent to Congress on Sept. 11 was clear: Don’t put new copyright regulations on artificial intelligence systems.

The letter’s signatories were real players, a broad coalition of think tanks, professors and civil-society groups with a stake in the growing debate about AI and copyright in Washington.

Undisclosed, however, were the fingerprints of Sy Damle, a tech-friendly Washington lawyer and former government official who works for top firms in the industry — including OpenAI, one of the top developers of cutting-edge AI models. Damle is currently representing OpenAI in ongoing copyright lawsuits...

The effort by an OpenAI lawyer to covertly sway Congress against new laws on AI and copyright comes in the midst of an escalating influence campaign — tied to OpenAI and other top AI firms — that critics fear is shifting Washington’s attention away from current AI harms and toward existential threats posed by future AI systems...

Many of the points made in the September letter echo those made recently by Damle in other venues, including an argument comparing the rise of AI to the invention of photography."

International Open Access Week: 2023 Theme Community over Commercialization, October 23-29, 2023

  International Open Access Week 

October 23-29, 2023

"2023 Theme

Community over Commercialization

---

This year’s theme encourages a candid conversation about which approaches to open scholarship prioritize the best interests of the public and the academic community—and which do not."

Prominent journal editor fired for endorsing satirical article about Israel-Hamas conflict; Science, October 24, 2023

SCIENCE NEWS STAFF, Science; Prominent journal editor fired for endorsing satirical article about Israel-Hamas conflict

"Michael Eisen, editor-in-chief of the prominent open access journal eLife and a longtime critic of traditional journals, says he is losing that job for publicly endorsing a satirical article that criticized people dying in Gaza for not condemning the recent attacks on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas...

Eisen has previously been a frequent, feisty participant in debates about scientific publishing, doggedly supporting the development of free access to journal articles. In 2003, he co-founded the Public Library of Science (PLOS), whose journal PLOS ONE grew to become one of the largest open-access journals. Authors pay a fee so that their articles in PLOS journals are free to read when published. Eisen has criticized the paywalls still in place at many subscription journals as slowing the progress of science and the diffusion of useful findings. But critics of PLOS’s model have suggested author fees create an incentive for journals to maximize the number of papers published at the expense of adequate peer review and quality and can create barriers for authors with limited resources."

How Librarians Became American Free Speech Heroes; The Saturday Evening Post, October 23, 2023

Madison Ingram, The Saturday Evening Post; How Librarians Became American Free Speech Heroes

"What happened in San Antonio happened in other communities across the country, as organizations like the Minute Women stoked the public’s fears of communism. Librarians resisted in various ways to varying degrees of success. Then, on June 14, 1953, they received major support from President Eisenhower, who offered a highly publicized message bolstering free speech during his Dartmouth College commencement speech. Addressing the new graduates, the president told them, “Don’t join the book-burners… Don’t be afraid to go to your library and read every book"...

Librarians and other educators are fighting back against the assault on free speech. Earlier this year, the Florida Education Association (which includes librarians), along with the Florida Freedom to Read Project, filed suit against the Florida legislature to challenge its censorship agenda. And after conservative lawmakers in Arkansas proposed Act 372, which sought to “protect children from indoctrination” by allowing librarians to be brought up on criminal charges if they were found with items “harmful to minors,” the Central Arkansas Library System took the lead in filing a federal lawsuit to question its constitutionality. A judge agreed, and the act has been blocked — for now.

Libraries have always offered more than just books. At their center, they offer a community space with safety to explore identities, histories and cultures. As librarians past and present know, the loss of this intellectual freedom would be catastrophic to American culture and democracy. Which is why, over eight decades since the Freedom to Read Act was first passed, in 2021 the ALA put forward a new statement that condemned acts of censorship and intimidation, and promised to continue to defend patrons’ constitutional rights, and the freedom to speak, publish, and read. It ended with a direct reflection on the Freedom to Read Act, proving that the fight goes on.

Madison Ingram is a PhD candidate in history at Temple University, where she is working on a dissertation on Black librarians and segregated libraries in the U.S. South. A Georgia native, she is dedicated to highlighting the work of Southern librarians and educators.

Originally published on Zócalo Public Square. Primary Editor: Jackie Mansky | Secondary Editor: Caroline Tracey"

John Green urges communities to stand against censorship in libraries, schools; WFYI, October 2, 2023

 LEE V. GAINES, WFYI; John Green urges communities to stand against censorship in libraries, schools

"Indianapolis author John Green said it’s not the responsibility of a public library to make sure no one is offended by the material on its shelves...

Green’s YA novel “Looking for Alaska” was among the most challenged books of last year, according to the American Library Association. Limiting access to information is an age-old strategy to try to control what people think, Green said. But he also expressed confusion — to the amusement of many in the audience — about why his work has been painted as inappropriate for teenage readers...

Green said he trusts trained librarians to decide where books belong in the library, and that the purpose of a library is to allow for equitable access to information — not to appease anyone’s preferences. 

“This is an uncomfortable thing to talk about, but ultimately the library does not exist for everyone who uses the library to be comfortable with every book in the library,” he said...

Indiana’s new law 

Earlier this year, Indiana legislators approved a controversial new law that requires public and charter schools to establish a process to allow both parents and community members to challenge books in school libraries that they believe are inappropriate for children. It also requires schools to publicly post their library catalogs. And it bars public school employees from using a book’s educational value as a defense against charges they distributed harmful material to minors.

In an interview with WFYI after the event, Hunley emphasized that the law doesn’t ban books. But she says it’s had a chilling effect; educators are second-guessing what titles they choose to include in schools out of fear of being targeted by anyone who may disagree with the content of a book...

“And most often, those are books that are featuring the stories of people who are marginalized, right, people that are brown, like me, people in the LGBTQ community, right, people who think differently than those who seek to remove their books from the shelves,” Hunley said. 

Hunley, a former Indianapolis Public Schools principal, urged educators not to let a vocal minority dictate what information and material students can access."

Adults have a lot to say about book bans — but what about kids?; NPR, October 4, 2023

 Elizabeth Blair, NPR; Adults have a lot to say about book bans — but what about kids?

"There's a lot of discussion and debate about the rise in efforts to remove certain books from school libraries and curriculums. It usually involves adults debating the issue — but it's kids who are affected.

So how do young readers feel about book bans? We asked some.

We spoke with Sawyer, 12, from Arlington, Va., Theo, 9, from St. Louis, Mo., Priya, 14, and Ellie, 14, both from Austin, Texas. To protect their privacy, we're only using their first names."

Artists, copyright law, and the battle over artificial intelligence; 1A, October 23, 2023

 Lauren Hamilton, 1A ; Artists, copyright law, and the battle over artificial intelligence

"Tech companies have spent billions of dollars this year alone investing in the future of generative artificial intelligence.  

Generative AI apps like ChatGPT, Stable  Diffusion and Bard, deliver brand new text, images and code results – of comparable quality to human outputs – from user prompts. 

But have you ever wondered how an AI bot knows how to process a user’s request? 

It gets trained, using millions of data points – like books, poems, photos, illustrations and song lyrics – from all over the internet, including copyrighted material. 

In recent months, several authors have sued companies like Meta and OpenAI, alleging that the companies used their copyrighted works to train their generative AI models, all without permission or compensation.

It’s an issue of concern for many who work creative jobs; from authors, to musicians, voice actors and graphic designers.

What’s to come of the legal battles between creatives and AI companies? What role does copyright law play in shaping the future of artificial intelligence?"

ALL THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES OFFERING FREE ACCESS TO BANNED BOOKS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE; Book Riot, October 23, 2023

Kelly Jensen , Book Riot; ALL THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES OFFERING FREE ACCESS TO BANNED BOOKS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

"This list is as comprehensive a roundup as possible of all the U.S. public libraries offering access to banned books. It includes the name of the library, the people who are being granted access to the collections, materials within the collections, as well as any other pertinent or relevant information. 

The list will be updated as more libraries engage in this kind of access activism. Note that many of these programs operate under the banner of “Books Unbanned.” Though they will be quite similar because laws regarding libraries differ state by state and because every library collection differs from another, the breadth of access and catalogs differs in each variation of the program. Folks who qualify may apply for cards at each of the Books Unbound programs—you’re not limited to just one."

How Israeli Civilians Are Using A.I. to Help Identify Victims; The New York Times, October 20, 2023

 David Blumenfeld, Carmit Hoomash, Alexandra Eaton and Meg Felling , The New York Times; How Israeli Civilians Are Using A.I. to Help Identify Victims

"“Brothers and Sisters for Israel” formed initially to protest judiciary reform. After Oct. 7, they shifted their mission to helping victims of the attacks, and together with volunteers from Israel’s leading tech companies, created a sophisticated data operation to help find out more about those missing, taken hostage or killed."

Innovative Approaches to Circumventing Book Bans; American Libraries, October 3, 2023

Greg Landgraf , American Libraries; Innovative Approaches to Circumventing Book Bans

"Libraries and schools nationwide are working overtime to repel an unprecedented level of attacks on the freedom to read. Vigorous debate, advocacy, and coalition-building remain the backbone of the fight against book banning. But some libraries, groups, and individuals have recently taken innovative approaches to ensure information access for all."

Using AI, cartoonist Amy Kurzweil connects with deceased grandfather in 'Artificial'; NPR, October 19, 2023

Chloe Veltman, NPR ; Using AI, cartoonist Amy Kurzweil connects with deceased grandfather in 'Artificial'

"Amy Kurzweil said the chatbot project and the book that came out of it underscored her somewhat positive feelings about AI.

"I feel like you need to imagine the robot you want to see in the world," she said. "We're not going to stop progress. But we can think about applications of AI that facilitate human connection.""

AI is learning from stolen intellectual property. It needs to stop.; The Washington Post, October 19, 2023

William D. Cohan , The Washington Post; AI is learning from stolen intellectual property. It needs to stop.

"The other day someone sent me the searchable database published by Atlantic magazine of more than 191,000 e-books that have been used to train the generative AI systems being developed by Meta, Bloomberg and others. It turns out that four of my seven books are in the data set, called Books3. Whoa.

Not only did I not give permission for my books to be used to generate AI products, but I also wasn’t even consulted about it. I had no idea this was happening. Neither did my publishers, Penguin Random House (for three of the books) and Macmillan (for the other one). Neither my publishers nor I were compensated for use of my intellectual property. Books3 just scraped the content away for free, with Meta et al. profiting merrily along the way. And Books3 is just one of many pirated collections being used for this purpose...

This is wholly unacceptable behavior. Our books are copyrighted material, not free fodder for wealthy companies to use as they see fit, without permission or compensation. Many, many hours of serious research, creative angst and plain old hard work go into writing and publishing a book, and few writers are compensated like professional athletes, Hollywood actors or Wall Street investment bankers. Stealing our intellectual property hurts." 

After Hospital Blast, Headlines Shift With Changing Claims; The New York Times, October 18, 2023

 Katie Robertson, The New York Times; After Hospital Blast, Headlines Shift With Changing Claims

"Covering wars is always fraught, both because journalists on the ground are often in harm’s way and because the sides at war aggressively push information in their favor."

A.I. May Not Get a Chance to Kill Us if This Kills It First; Slate, October 17, 2023

 SCOTT NOVER, Slate; A.I. May Not Get a Chance to Kill Us if This Kills It First

"There is a disaster scenario for OpenAI and other companies funneling billions into A.I. models: If a court found that a company was liable for copyright infringement, it could completely halt the development of the offending model." 

The Maryland library where you can get your blood pressure read; WTOP, October 16, 2023

John Domen, WTOP; The Maryland library where you can get your blood pressure read

"These days, libraries offer a much wider range of services than just free books and tables to do research at. However, at one Maryland library, you can read a book — and then get a health screening, which is a bit like researching your own health.

The screenings happen every Monday at the Greenbelt Library in Prince George’s County, and are conducted by nursing students.

The library has a blood pressure clinic, connects patrons to community resources like vaccine clinics and hosts health education discussions, according to Sara Chapman, a clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing...

This program will run on Mondays through Nov. 13 in Greenbelt, from 11 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. It then pauses until the spring semester begins. The nurses there are students, after all, and they’re getting credit for their community and public health nursing class.

And while you wouldn’t think that sitting at a hallway table and getting your blood pressure checked is a typical library activity, the hope is that this can be expanded beyond the Greenbelt branch to other libraries around the county.

Quemar Rhoden, the central area director with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, said his team is “always trying to be more dynamic with our program offerings” while keeping the community’s needs in mind.

“The library is much more than books. It’s a place where people gather,” Rhoden said. “The community really trusts us. They trust us with some very personal matters, and it’s always our goal to offer more services that meet their needs.”

Foley Library director who refused to remove inappropriate material from children section departing for Wyoming; 1819 News, October 16, 2023

Erica Thomas , 1819 News; Foley Library director who refused to remove inappropriate material from children section departing for Wyoming

John Jackson was hired by the Campbell County Public Library System in Wyoming as its executive director.

The system's former director, Terri Lesley, was fired on July 28 following the discovery of what some called pornography in the children and teen sections of the Gillette Library. Lesley said she believed the public was being harmed by being unable to access various information. After being fired, she filed a lawsuit against the library system for discrimination and members of a family who reportedly defamed her by writing Letters to the Editor accusing her of illegal activity.

When residents in Foley voiced concerns in August about similar material, Jackson told 1819 News he would not remove inappropriate material from the children or young adult sections if he saw it.

"I have the ability to take it off the shelf, but I will not take it off the shelf because I will not be self-censoring," Jackson said. "I will not fall into the trap to becoming a censor and a book-banner because once you do that, where do you stop? You then become ruled by whatever anyone comes in and says they find offensive. I'm sure that someone could find content in virtually any book on the shelf offensive based on their personal beliefs, so once you start book banning, there's no end to it."

Jackson said he would stand against censorship and that moves against the books were also against constitutional rights."

"George Chauncey, Historian of LGBTQ+ Life and Kluge Prize Recipient, Releases New Video Series “Through History to Equality”; Library of Congress, October 16, 2023

Library of Congress ; "George Chauncey, Historian of LGBTQ+ Life and Kluge Prize Recipient, Releases New Video Series “Through History to Equality”

George Chauncey, recipient of the 2022 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, released three videos today with the Library of Congress examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ Americans. These are now available to watch on loc.gov and the Library’s YouTube channel. 

In “From Sexual Regulation to Antigay Discrimination,” Chauncey is interviewed by Library of Congress Chief Communications Officer Roswell Encina on the history of how LGBTQ+ people in the United States were treated throughout the 20th century; the ways that their legal, social, and political treatment changed over the years; and the lives that people created for themselves in the shadow of discrimination.

In “Why Marriage Equality Became a Goal,” Chauncey interviews civil rights attorney Mary Bonauto, who has worked on the most significant legal cases dealing with marriage equality over the past 30 years. In this interview, Chauncey and Bonauto discuss the significance of the goal of marriage and why they think both the law and public opinion changed so rapidly as equality became the law of the land.

In “AIDS: A Tragedy and a Turning Point,” Chauncey convened a panel of experts to discuss the AIDS crisis that took the lives of a generation of gay people, including many who were writers and community leaders, even as it also set the stage for changes to come by prompting a new wave of activism and leading to an outpouring of LGBTQ+ people embracing their identities. In the discussion, Chauncey, Deborah Gould, Duane Cramer and Jafari Allen revisit the early history of AIDS and discuss the fear and loss as well as the action and assertiveness that came from that dark time."

Justice Barrett Calls for Supreme Court to Adopt an Ethics Code; The New York Times, October 16, 2023

Abbie VanSickle, The New York Times; Justice Barrett Calls for Supreme Court to Adopt an Ethics Code

"Justice Amy Coney Barrett said on Monday that she favored an ethics code for the Supreme Court, joining the growing chorus of justices who have publicly backed adopting such rules.

“It would be a good idea for us to do it, particularly so that we can communicate to the public exactly what it is that we are doing in a clearer way,” she said during a wide-ranging conversation at the University of Minnesota Law School with Robert Stein, a longtime law professor and the former chief operating officer of the American Bar Association."

Which banned books have been removed from Iowa schools? Our updated database lists them; Des Moines Register, October 16, 2023

Tim Webber, Des Moines Register; Which banned books have been removed from Iowa schools? Our updated database lists them

"A new law approved this year by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa’s Republican-controlled Legislature has already resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from school libraries throughout Iowa, according to data obtained by the Des Moines Register, and that number could reach the thousands by the start of the new calendar year. 

Senate File 496, signed into law by Reynolds in May, bans books with descriptions or depictions of sex acts from school libraries and prohibits instruction on gender and sexual identity until seventh grade, among other effects.

Since then, schools have worked throughout the summer and into the new school year to meet the law’s new restrictions, with the process still ongoing in many districts...

Which books have been pulled from the shelves in my Iowa school district?

Through Wednesday morning, 24 school districts have sent the Register a list of books that have been removed from their schools’ shelves.

They can be viewed in this database, or you can use the quick search tool below. The database groups together graphic novels, translations and other direct adaptations with the original work. Additionally, note that some school districts have removed books as a precautionary measure as they determine whether they can be returned to the shelves...

Together, more than 450 individual works by more than 300 authors have already been pulled from the shelves of Iowa school districts as a result of Senate File 496. Our database will continue to be updated as we receive more lists from districts around the state."

Get a free session with a lawyer on civil legal issues through a Jefferson Parish Library; Nola.com, October 16, 2023

CHRIS SMITH, Nola.com; Get a free session with a lawyer on civil legal issues through a Jefferson Parish Library

"The Jefferson Parish Library is participating in the 2024 annual Lawyers in Libraries statewide program in partnership with the Louisiana State Bar Association, the state and the Louisiana Library Association.

As part of this event, local attorneys volunteer for two-hour “Ask-a-Lawyer” sessions where they meet with patrons one-on-one to answer civil legal questions and connect them to further resources. Sessions are free. This sessions take place on a first-come, first-served basis."

San Diego Public Library, Father Joe's Villages work to treat addiction with Suboxone; KPBS, October 12, 2023

 Thomas Fudge / Science and Technology Reporter

Contributors: Carlos Castillo / Video Journalist,  KPBS; San Diego Public Library, Father Joe's Villages work to treat addiction with Suboxone

"There’s a new partnership aimed at helping people experiencing opioid addiction in San Diego. The School of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU) is teaming up with the San Diego Public Library and Father Joe’s Villages to provide access to Suboxone...

By promoting literacy and providing information, the old library mission of public service has evolved. The library has also become a place where those experiencing homelessness use the bathrooms, charge their phones, be dry and safe.

“Libraries have become dynamic and reflexive and respond to the needs of the community in real time as opposed to holding those traditional values and mission, and not expanding and growing with our communities,” said Jennifer Jenkins, deputy director for the San Diego Public Library.

The SDSU project sought to recruit at least 40 people to get Suboxone prescriptions and take it regularly. Urada said she hopes this will be a model for the rest of the library system and perhaps libraries in other states."

Huntington Beach City Council to consider review board to stop some books from hitting public library shelves; Los Angeles Times, October 13, 2023

 MATT SZABO, Los Angeles Times; Huntington Beach City Council to consider review board to stop some books from hitting public library shelves

"Van Der Mark has said multiple times that what she is seeking does not amount to a book ban, but Chavez disagreed.

“They’re basically getting a committee to do the book banning for them, right?” she said. “It’s still a book ban. A library of our size orders about 9,000 children’s books a year, so I don’t know where they think the committee’s going to find the time to read these books. It doesn’t seem like a workable plan at all.”"

As Moms for Liberty spreads, so does school turmoil; Salon, October 13, 2023

EVELYN NIEVES, Salon; As Moms for Liberty spreads, so does school turmoil

"What began in Florida in 2021 with three conservative women (two former school board members from neighboring counties and a current school board member) now claims 130,000 members in 300 chapters in 47 states. ...

But Liz Mikitarian, a retired Brevard County, Florida, kindergarten teacher and founder of STOP Moms for Liberty, says she tried seeking common ground with the group for a year. She posted comments on Moms for Liberty’s Facebook page. “I was looking for dialogue,” she said. “They weren’t interested.”

Mikitarian knew one of Moms for Liberty’s founders, Tina Descovich, who had been on the Brevard County school board before losing her seat in 2020. The connection didn’t help.

She says she attended increasingly unruly school board meetings as Moms for Liberty jelled. “They were saying they were seeing things in classrooms that were not going on,” Mikitarian said. When she objected, she said, things got ugly.

She says she was mocked and doxxed. “They started calling me a pedophile supporter. It was nuts. And I thought to myself: What is going on? Are there other people feeling this is a straight-out attack on public education? That’s when I started STOP Moms for Liberty.”

The group, she said, now has chapters in over 40 states. Unlike Moms for Liberty, STOP Moms is unincorporated and has no paid staff or funding. Its growth, Mikitarian said, has come through social media."

Coos Bay Library offers community fridge; The World, October 14, 2023

 Bree Laughlin , The World; Coos Bay Library offers community fridge

"Now, Coos Bay Public Library patrons can obtain fresh produce six days a week during the library’s open hours.

Addis and his colleagues at the library partnered with South Coast Food Share and The Beet Food Systems Consortium, which are helping to support the project by providing the fridge and funding for food and operational costs.

The program has been so successful, Addis needs to restock the fridge multiple times per week. He also provides handouts with recipes and the health benefits of certain fruits of vegetables.

“The vast majority of people are just extremely appreciative. People are coming in and it's been getting more popular every day,” he said.

Everyone who enters the library is eligible for free produce. Patrons can ask an employee to unlock the fridge. They will receive the free healthy food items after being asked a few questions (name, address, # of people in household) that will only be used for statistics. The library does not share personal information."

WHAT ELSE DO PARENTS WHO BELIEVE LIBRARIANS SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS THINK?; Book Riot, October 13, 2023

Kelly Jensen , Book Riot; WHAT ELSE DO PARENTS WHO BELIEVE LIBRARIANS SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS THINK?

"Book Riot and EveryLibrary have teamed up to execute a series of surveys exploring parental perceptions of libraries, and our first data sets were released at the end of September. These specifically explore the ways parents perceive public libraries...

While most parents have no idea how librarians choose the books in the collection (53%), and most also believe librarians should be responsible for collection development and maintenance (58%), one of the most surprising findings was that fully one-quarter of respondents believed librarians should be prosecuted for giving children access to materials...

People who do not know how librarians select material are much more likely to also believe librarians should be prosecuted for that material. This is chilling, to say the least. It’s also an important point to emphasize for library workers. Where and how do you educate your patrons about the process behind the acquisition of books, movies, and other collection items? If this demographic who somewhat or wholly believes librarians should be prosecuted for materials is your average or above average user, there is a lot of opportunity — maybe even necessity — for education."

Greenville County Library System committee votes 5-1 to eliminate all displays. What to know.; Greenville News, October 13, 2023

Savannah Moss, Greenville News; Greenville County Library System committee votes 5-1 to eliminate all displays. What to know.

"“I asked our library staff to research if there was another library system that had eliminated themed displays. They did not find any. In other words, we appear to be the first to eliminate theme displays,” Pinkston said. “Are we blazing a trail that others will soon follow? Or are we overreacting to a containable problem?”"