Court Blocks Iowa Book Banning Law—Again
In a major win for freedom to read advocates, a federal judge has once again temporarily blocked the book banning provisions of Iowa law SF 496.
In The News
Two Lawsuits Challenge Book Bans in Minnesota School District
The suits accuse the St. Francis School Board of “abandoning its duty to oversee the education of young people in service of a partisan, political orthodoxy.”
In Letter, IMLS Advisory Board Says Its Core Activities Cannot be Slashed by Executive Action
In a letter to the agency's new acting director, the National Museum and Library Services board said it stands ready to help "support and strengthen" the agency's mission as mandated by law.
ALA Taps Lisa Varga to Lead Public Policy and Advocacy Office
Varga will take over from Alan Inouye, who is retiring from ALA after 18 years in the Public Policy and Advocacy Office. She will begin her new role on April 21.
Editor's Note: March 19, 2025
After a successful soft launch at the London Book Fair, 'Words & Money' editor Andrew Richard Albanese shares the first in a new, regular series of progress reports.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 21, 2025
Among the week's headlines: a potentially chilling future for the IMLS; Alabama fires the head of its public library agency; and Texas advances a bill to give school boards control over library collections.
Union Says IMLS Employees to Be Put On Administrative Leave; ALA Declares a ‘Five Alarm Fire’
"We’ve all seen the news about the unjustified, ill treatment of federal employees across many agencies, and now it has come squarely to the library community,” ALA's Alan Inouye wrote.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 14
Among the week's headlines: At the London Book Fair, publisher optimism clashed with American political chaos; back home, a new Rhode Island bill seeks to protect the freedom to read; and incoming ALA president Sam Helmick speaks to the challenges facing librarians.
Trump Executive Order Targets IMLS for Closure
In a March 14 Executive Order, President Donald Trump has targeted seven more federal agencies for permanent closure, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The order states that the president has determined IMLS is “unnecessary” and gave agency officials seven days to submit a report to the OMB
ALA Awards Its Highest Honor to Penguin Random House SVP Skip Dye
“Dye continues to be a dedicated and impactful leader in the library community and has stayed true to ALA’s mission of ensuring access to information for all,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said, in a statement.
Judge Rejects Florida's Bid to Toss Closely Watched Book Ban Lawsuit
In a win for freedom to read advocates, a federal court has ruled that a publisher-led lawsuit challenging Florida law HB 1069 can proceed.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 7, 2024
Among the week's headlines: Montana legislators spar over the role of libraries; Iowa continues its assault on professional library associations; the Georgia senate passes a measure exposing librarians to criminal liability; and Missouri looks to censor digital library catalogs in schools.
New Report Explores Digital Censorship
The unprecedented surge in book banning has made headlines in recent years, but a new report is looking to shed light on another facet of the current censorship battle—efforts to ban materials from digital databases and collections.
“Book challenges have garnered a significant amount of attention in the press