[Libs-Or] Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions Intellectual Freedom News - November 2022

[Jennifer Keyser]

Hello Libs-OR Community,

Please find below the November edition of Multnomah County Library's Rights,
Responsibilities & Reactions: Intellectual Freedom News. It came out late
in November and I overlooked sending it out -until now. Please enjoy
exploring the current IF landscape.

Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions
Intellectual Freedom News – November 2022

------------------------------
  Recent Intellectual Freedom Articles

The fight against banned books goes on the road and scholar Kimberlé
Crenshaw joins the effort: A Visit to the Banned-Book Bus
<https://time.com/6225926/banned-book-bus-kimberle-crenshaw-critical-race-theory/>
(Time, 16 min). The article dives into how  Critical Race Theory, which
Crenshaw helped develop, is mischaracterized to add fire to the banned book
movement. In this complementary opinion piece by Crenshaw, she makes the
connection between voting rights and access to stories and histories,
especially those of marginalized people:  Why book bans and voter
suppression go hand in hand
<https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-11-08/book-ban-voter-supression-midterms-insurrection-racism-white-supremacy>
(Los Angeles Times, 8 min). (censorship, diversity)

When It Happens to You
<https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2022/11/01/when-it-happens-to-you/>
covers how library workers and school administrators are dealing with book
challenges (American Libraries Magazine, 16 min). The New York Time
provides an in-depth look at one librarian’s fight against censorship and
the defamation that followed: A Small-Town Librarian Spoke Against
Censorship. Then the Dark Money Came for Her
<https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/17/opinion/librarian-book-bans-freedom-of-speech.html?>
(37 min audio, includes transcript). This opinion piece details a school
librarian’s experience with an onslaught of book challenges:  The school
library used to be a sanctuary. Now it’s a battleground.
<https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/31/opinions/school-libraries-banned-books-lgbtq-hickson>
(CNN, 9 min). (censorship, first amendment)

A look at how the current wave of book bans may be more hype of political
agendas
<https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2022/11/in-some-school-districts-parent-complaints-over-books-was-more-bark-than-bite/>
(D Magazine, 5 min) and serve as a smokescreen for larger issues
<https://www.therepublic.com/2022/10/23/smokescreen-for-larger-issues-national-battle-over-lbgtq-and-sex-ed-books-reaches-bartholomew-county/>
(The Republic, 15 min).  (censorship, diversity)

Libraries, organizations and publishers across the nation are speaking out
against censorship: Brooklyn Public Library president says now is “a time
to act” in fight against book bans
<https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/3725654-brooklyn-public-library-president-says-now-is-a-time-to-act-in-fight-against-book-bans/>(The
Hill, 3 min). Rochester Public Library in Minnesota takes a stance on
freedom to read
<https://www.kaaltv.com/news/top-news/rpl-board-takes-stance-on-freedom-to-read/>
(KAAL TV, 1 min). In South Carolina, Freedom to Read SC
<https://www.facebook.com/free2readSC>, a statewide coalition, was formed
to fight book bans
<https://www.wspa.com/news/coalition-formed-to-fight-book-bans/> (WSPA, 2
min). The ACLU of Michigan calls for a stop to book banning
<https://www.aclumich.org/en/press-releases/aclu-letter-michigans-public-school-districts-support-lgbtq-students-and-first>
in public schools and underscores the impact on LGBTQ+ community and
infringement on First Amendment rights (9 min). Michigan librarians stand
up against banned books
<https://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/opinion-we-are-michigan-librarians-and-well-stand-up-against-book-bans/article_ffde0554-d518-11ec-94fd-9be25b9371df.html>
(Traverse City Record-Eagle, 4 min). Freedom to Read advocates warn about
the chilling effects of proposed state bills
<https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/90956-freedom-to-read-advocates-warn-of-proposed-book-rating-bill-in-texas-rising-book-bans-in-missouri.html>
that would ban books or require a rating system (Publishers Weekly, 8 min).
The National Coalition Against Censorship defends the right to read
<https://ncac.org/news/amy-coney-barrett-and-the-freedom-to-read> by
calling out requests to cancel Amy Coney Barrett’s book (NCAC, 3 min). (
censorship, first amendment, diversity)

A reminder of how libraries serve as an essential connector in
communities: Libraries
Can Unite a Lonely, Divided Nation
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-26/in-a-divided-nation-public-libraries-offer-space-to-reconnect>
(Bloomberg
City Lab, 5 min, includes audio version). Plus more on the value of
libraries in welcoming communities and a bit of guidance from Tracie Hall
<https://www.npr.org/2022/11/12/1136267795/meet-the-longtime-librarian-being-honored-at-the-national-book-awards>,
head of ALA, on talking with  concerned family members about content in
books (NPR, 4 min, includes audio version). A New York Times opinion piece
offers an ode to access to information: Thankful for Libraries
<https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/23/opinion/thankful-libraries-books.html>
(6 min). (access, diversity)

The Verge dives into the entanglement of the First Amendment, the
Communications Decency Act and social media to reveal hypocrisy and legal
loopholes that impact free speech: How America turned against the First
Amendment
<https://www.theverge.com/23435358/first-amendment-free-speech-midterm-elections-courts-hypocrisy>
(20 min). (first amendment)

Proposed California legislation aims to make the internet safer for kids,
and consequently would have a wider reach through directly impacting
technology companies: California’s new child policy could become a national
standard
<https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/11/07/californias-new-child-privacy-law-could-become-national-standard>
(PEW, 13 min). (legislation, access)

The Morning Consult offers an analytical look at Gen Z’s relationship to
data privacy
<https://morningconsult.com/2022/11/09/data-privacy-is-different-for-gen-z/>.
Plus the article highlights the attitudes of other generations (7 min). (
data, privacy)

The case for moving away from the pervasive Orwellian definition of
government surveillance and seeking better understanding of the complexity
of privacy  (and how it is compromised and accessed) is being made in
several new books on privacy: Science Fiction Got Surveillance All Wrong
<https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/11/books-briefing-george-orwell-namwali-serpell/671983/>
(The Atlantic, 7 min). (privacy)

This Wired article looks at creative tactics that have been applied to
dispel disinformation: The Art of Hitting Disinformation Where It Lives
<https://www.wired.com/story/disinformation-art-science/> (8 min). (
disinformation)

Additional Intellectual Freedom Reading and Resources

ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/

Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Toolkit
<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/iftoolkit/home>. A range of tools and
resources relating to IF challenges and policies created by the OLA
Intellectual Freedom Committee.

------------------------------

Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions is a monthly roundup of Intellectual
Freedom News compiled by the Multnomah County Library Intellectual Freedom
Committee. We welcome suggestions of articles to include at
lib.ifc at multco.us.

*Jennifer Keyser *(she/her)
*Policy Coordinator Librarian*
Monday - Friday
971-429-4699
Multnomah County Library
multcolib.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20221212/f0b838f0/attachment.html>