Book Censorship News, December 8, 2023

“Yes Means Yes,” and Other Ways Consent Is Sexy: A Quick Guide

Book review of My Black Country by Alice Randall

Should AI Companies Buy Publishers for Access to Their Data?

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/creator of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/creator of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her subsequent e book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.

View All posts by Kelly Jensen

As we race towards the tip of 2023 and e book bans proceed to be a significant actuality throughout the nation, it appears value pausing to consider a few of the traits throughout the panorama this yr. We have seen shifts within the sorts of books being focused, because of the work of PEN America, and now we have seen a shift within the targets of censors extra broadly from particular person titles (these nonetheless occur!) to e book distributors with the Texas READER Act and e book gala’s. While bigotry and energy are two key themes of why censors are concentrating on books, one factor we needs to be and addressing by identify is that this: there may be some huge cash to be made with e book bans.

I’ve talked at size for years about how e book banners have discovered this a major alternative to level to wasteful spending of tax cash. If they will complain about books within the colleges, they will complain their tax cash was wasted on the books, then that their tax cash was wasted on the evaluation course of, after which they will take these claims to sympathetic politicians of their state to demand voucher packages, which then additional defund and arduous public establishments. They personal all the cycle. We haven’t touched on what number of tens of 1000’s of {dollars} have been wasted on insurance policies and the way they’ve been translated on the public library degree (see Hamilton East Public Library’s evaluation of all their YA books, adopted by the abrupt ending of that coverage).

But a brand new and admittedly unsurprising development in 2023 is that non-public entities have stepped in to supply options to banned books. These should not options to finish e book bans, however moderately methods to proceed residing in a system that allows books to be banned for lies perpetrated by right-wing parental proper teams (irrespective of what number of occasions e book banners push the identical handful of photos from Gender Queer on social media or in class board conferences, these don’t meet the authorized definition of obscenity; they only make you look extremely ignorant about how books, literacy, and the regulation work). In 2023, e book banners have began to money in on their very own lies, as soon as once more proudly owning all the outrage cycle and its cash from begin to end.

Who has been behind this? I’ve already lined two of the most important, most marketed so far right here: BookmarkED, an app designed to “help schools and parents with book bans,” and the Brave Books-now-SkyTree e book gala’s designed to supply an alternative choice to Scholastic. The first was created by a person who was advocating for a e book ban invoice on the Texas Senate this yr. Convenient that he would be capable to actually push his new app as an answer to the invoice. The second, after all, has put Kirk Cameron and a cadre of right-wing “children’s books” on the heart of discourse over naughty books accessible in class and public libraries (and hey, even when the storytime occasions that Brave Books coordinated in August at public libraries throughout the U.S. had been free, they had been definitely getting loads of press and a spotlight for the writer and their books, each through the occasion and within the protection main as much as it — the tone of that protection didn’t matter, since they obtained their objectives into individuals’s mouths).

These are the 2 which are recognized now, however definitely, different enterprise ventures are beginning up in hopes of creating financial institution off the restriction of First Amendment rights of scholars and residents throughout the nation. It’s the American method: capitalism.

Of course, it goes with out saying it’s not simply non-public enterprise cashing in. So, too, are the “parental rights” teams who’ve gotten infinite and breathless mainstream consideration. Moms For Liberty claimed to have raked in over $2.1 million of their 2022 taxes (it’s seemingly much more), whereas college board elections and library-focused native poll measures have turn into locations the place unprecedented quantities of cash are being spent.

The fact is that each single censorship-themed publish can finish the identical method, however it bears actually highlighting right here. These e book bans should not in regards to the books. They’re in regards to the individuals behind the books and the establishments that allow entry to those books. While we spend treasured time making humorous memes about Moms For Liberty and giving them cute social media nicknames, different persons are racing to create the subsequent billion-dollar answer to “solve” the totally manufactured “problem.” I don’t know what number of extra methods this may be stated.

People have to cease being stunned once they study one other unhealthy factor taking place — none of that is taking place in the dead of night; it’s been uncovered time and again, and we’re ramping up for one more yr of it. Perhaps the issue is it isn’t attractive to speak in regards to the methods permitting “inventions” like an app to assist “navigate” e book bans being created by somebody who helped push a e book ban invoice in Texas. Perhaps it’s not as clicky to learn and digest a bit with proof and paperwork outlining the insidious plans to shove right-wing e book gala’s into public, taxpayer-funded colleges as it’s to publish a fast “lol Kirk Cameron, he’s not even relevant” model meme or story (he very a lot is related and that’s a problem being ignored right here). We’re all drained and stretched to our limits.

That’s exactly what censors financial institution on.

Book bans are in regards to the cash, and organizations are cashing in on the backs of probably the most weak on this nation.

Book Censorship News: December 8, 2023

All 97 books being challenged in Beaufort County, South Carolina, colleges have been reviewed. Five books had been eliminated in complete, together with Beautiful by Amy Reed, The Haters by Jesse Andrews, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, and Forever For a Year by BT Gottfried.
“State Superintendent Ryan Walters introduced new guidelines for Oklahoma libraries, saying the ones used before were ‘woke.’ On Wednesday, Walters ditched information literacy guidelines put out by the American Library Association. Walters said the ALA supports putting books in schools that are inappropriate and pornographic.” Yes, they only eliminated tips for INFORMATION LITERACY in Oklahoma libraries. You know exactly why.
Hanover County, Virginia, colleges are reviewing two extra books after banning 75 in November and 19 others previous to that. The two books being mentioned? Valiant Ladies by Melissa Gray and…The Bible.
Alachua County, Florida, colleges have 13 e book challenges in progress from three dad and mom within the district.
Here’s a narrative that’s sort of troublesome to hyperlink to as a result of it’s one not value giving visitors to, however it’s additionally necessary. 1819 News is a right-leaning Alabama information outlet. Guess what they’re attempting to do? If your guess was “evaluate books in a local school district to help the district remove ‘inappropriate’ titles,” you’d be a winner.
“A conservative activist who teaches parents how to get books removed from school libraries has won her first major victory at a right-leaning Southern California school board, setting the district up for a fresh legal battle with the state.” Yes, that is California.
We know for sure now that the 2 new board members of the Corpus Christi, Texas, public library are affiliated with right-wing e book banning teams.
Brevard County, Florida, colleges are in search of to limit the e book Sold to excessive schoolers solely.
Read this story of the Community Library Network (ID) and its trustees attempting to write down a brand new coverage over inappropriate supplies. Some consider they will simply erase authorized definitions to go well with their wishes. These persons are serving in your college and library boards, people.
A San Diego, California, father is mad about his 14-year-old being assigned Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian however it’s not about banning a e book. Do you assume he talked with the instructor and obtained an alternate task or nah?
Liberty Lakes (WA) is again within the information! The metropolis council is attempting as soon as once more to take energy of the library away from the board and provides it to themselves. This week, they did simply that.
Union colleges (OK) are listening to from the aggrieved in regards to the e book Lucky by Alice Sebold.
New proposed guidelines within the state of Alabama may change what books these beneath 18 can entry in public and college libraries. Nothing to see right here…besides fascism. I assumed these “parental rights” people didn’t need to coparent with the federal government, however attention-grabbing they need the federal government to make these guidelines.
Worcester County colleges (MD) are listening to from e book disaster actors about how inappropriate it’s to have All Boys Aren’t Blue in class libraries.
“Conservative groups have submitted a petition urging a criminal investigation into the El Paso and Teller County schools [CO] over the possession and promotion of what they term ‘obscene books.’” They’re LGBTQ+ books, shocker.
Laramie County School District 1 (WY) handed its controversial new supplies coverage on the newest board assembly. Expect extra e book bans right here.
Effingham County Commissioners (GA) met with a neighborhood library as a result of they’ve eaten up the rhetoric that there are “inappropriate” books within the public library, they usually, with all of their experience in youngster improvement, literacy, training, and librarianship as commissioners, believed they need to consider the books. Bonus “ALA is bad” commentary by these well-versed, not-at-all-biased people. Of course it’s LGBTQ+ books, y’all.
Moore County Schools (NC) will see the subsequent hearings over a number of challenged books within the new yr.
Same with Catawba County Schools in North Carolina.
“A group of residents voiced its support for Iron River librarians [WI] last week, even as they learned that one new library board member has spoken out against LGBQT+ books available at the library.” Sigh.
Empire of Storms was stored on cabinets in Brainerd Schools (MN), however the choice was appealed. It’ll undergo the method once more subsequent week.
Brown County Libraries (WI) moved the e book Let’s Talk About It from the teenager part — it’s a teen e book — to their grownup part.
“‘We are not book banners. We just want to have some kind of policy that can either label these books, segregate these books, have parental opt-out options, or in the event that some of them are too graphic—be removed from the schools,’ Chair of the Knox County [TN] Moms for Liberty Sheri Super said.” They’re actually dedicated to the bit.
Apparently, the New Hampshire Department of Education has had a hand in creating panic over naughty books all through the state, and persons are catching on now. Recall a factor known as fascism.
“The Library of Graham Advisory Board voted Thursday, Nov. 9 in favor of keeping We Need to Talk About Vaginas: An IMPORTANT Book About Vulvas, Periods, Puberty and Sex! The book is currently set to be relocated to a yet to be determined area of the library. Following the decision by the library board, eight local pastors submitted a letter to Graham City Council members encouraging them to reject the board’s decision and remove the book entirely from the library.” Pause with this. A public library in Texas went via the method of a e book problem and decided the puberty e book written for tween ladies was really applicable for tweens to entry within the library. PASTORS complained to metropolis council, and now the town council is taking this challenge up. IT’S NOT THE CITY COUNCIL’S JOB.
Berkeley County, South Carolina, colleges spent 1000’s on e book evaluations after which went forward and suspended the committee. Again, manufactured drawback right here to wasteful spending.
Water for Elephants and The Lovely Bones will stay accessible to highschool college students in Wilson County, Tennessee, colleges.
The state of e book bans and challenges in Connecticut.