Turning tide for America’s libraries
THE American Library Association has published State of America’s Libraries 2024, with a close look at censorship and how communities are rising against the book bans. The report says that threats to the free-
dom to read in 2023 were not just about access to books. Library workers have faced job losses, threats of closure or defunding, attempts to criminally prosecute librarians and even bomb threats. Politicians have also introduced 151 bills to authorise the criminal prosecution of librarians, threaten library funding, or impose unconstitutional content-based restrictions. While ALA data shows an increased num-
ber of individual book titles being chal- lenged in 2023, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, says this is not proof that the appetite for censorship is growing. There were 4,240 demands to censor unique book titles in 2023, up from 2,571 in 2022. In contrast, she said: “The total number of censorship incidents reported to OIF declined 1.7 per cent from its peak in 2022.” She said the discrepancy between num-
bers of titles and numbers of complaints was due to “groups and individuals demanding
the censorship of multiple titles, often list- ing dozens or even hundreds of titles as candidates for censorship all at once. “Librarians and library users are pushing
back against calls to censor books and close libraries, joining a growing resistance move- ment to counter the censorship campaigns pursued by organised pressure groups.” The fightback ranged from the creation of
a nationwide database of “book résumés” to counter misinformation about chal- lenged books to politicians challenging censorship in places like Illinois which passed the first anti-book ban law for pub- lic libraries, and California which passed the first law protecting books and library collections in school libraries. Similarly she said courts were rejecting
the claims of elected officials and advo- cacy groups adding that “legal victories are important, as it is clear that these par- tisan attacks on librarians, readers, and the right to read may not end until the courts uphold the rule of law.” ALA President Emily Drabinski said “these are not ordinary times” and pointed to “the unprecedented wave of organised censorship” and “legislation that would undermine librarian agency” but she said:
“When libraries take action, commun- ity members do, too” and gave a number of examples, adding that this defence of libraries is not partisan. “Across party lines and across the political spectrum, the vast majority of people love their libraries for the ordinary and extraordinary work we do each day: connecting people to reading and resources, building businesses and commu- nities, expanding literacy across the lifespan, and making great Saturday afternoons.”
Yes to library plans
PLANS to replace Stocksbridge pub- lic library with a three-storey building including the library, classrooms, a cafe and 10,000 sq ft of office space, have been approved by Sheffield City Council. The new library and community space
is part of a £24.1m project which is being funded with money from the gov- ernment’s Town Deals programme. The improvement project includes
a new town square as well as new shopfronts, parking and paving for the precinct area.
April-May 2024
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