This week, the U.S. District Court for Arizona began hearing arguments in Acosta et al v. Huppenthal, a case that might determine the fate of Tucson’s embattled Mexican American Studies program. The Mexican American Studies program fell victim to House Bill…
849 search results for "Banned Books Week"
Moscow Librarian Receives Four-Year Suspended Sentence for ‘Extremist’ Literature
Natalya Sharina, the former director of Moscow’s Library of Ukrainian Literature who has been under house arrest since her home and library were raided by police in October 2015, has been convicted of “inciting hatred against Russians” and given a…
Chechen Prosecutor Trying to Block Charlie Hebdo Cartoons
Chechnya is trying to block online access to cartoons published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The predominant religion in Chechnya is Islam, and Charlie Hebdo is a noted critic of fundamentalist belief in religion, frequently drawing criticism for…
Zunar Hopes to Outsmart Police with Next Book Launch
Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar, plagued by repeated police raids and seizures of his work, has struck upon an innovative solution to censorship: at the launch of his newest book Twit-Twit, Cin Cin this week, buyers will receive only a photocopy…
ALA Director Condemns Recent Rash of Attacks on Thirteen Reasons Why
Due to the success of the Netflix adaptation of Jay Asher’s young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why, the novel has faced increased scrutiny nationwide. American Library Association director James LaRue recently addressed the attempts to censor the popular novel. In the past few…
Librarians Brainstorm Solutions to Build and Defend Graphic Novel Collections
Now more than ever before, comics are an indispensable component of many public libraries’ collections. A decade or two ago they might have been treated as ephemera, but today they are often curated with the same level of care as…
Wisconsinites Pack Board Meeting for Debate Over Absolutely True Diary
Community debate continues over Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, where a review committee recently recommended to Superintendent Cliff Thompson that the book remain in the 9th grade curriculum at Sauk…
Thirteen Reasons Why TV Series Leads to Sudden Scrutiny of Popular Novel
Ten years after its initial publication, Jay Asher’s young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why is encountering a sudden surge in challenges, bans, and restrictions in schools around the country due to panicked adult backlash against the Netflix series based on…
‘Seditious’ Malaysian Artist Encourages Compatriots to Hold Government Accountable
Fahmi Reza, the Malaysian graphic designer and activist who is currently facing sedition charges for depicting Prime Minister Najib Razak as a clown, took his message of resistance to Malaysian expatriates in Australia last week. Even as his case is…
School Asks Author to Stop Discussing Her Book Mid-Visit
Sadly, the phenomenon of authors being disinvited from previously scheduled school visits because of their writing or opinions is nothing new–in the past few years, it’s happened to Rainbow Rowell, Phil Bildner, and Meg Medina, to name just a few.…