Posted on September 4, 2024 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Here's the latest news on book bans, challenges, and other literary obstacles ... and if you're not in the mood for downer news, skip straight to the last item.
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Erica Ezeifedi explains how book censorship in prisons is part of slavery's legacy in the US (Book Riot).
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How Amanda Jones went from a middle school librarian to an anti-book-ban activist (The New York Times).
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PS, you can read an excerpt from Amanda Jones's memoir/manifesto, That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (Book Riot).
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Depressing library news isn't confined to the US — in the UK, more than 180 public libraries have either closed or transitioned to volunteer staffing and around 2,000 jobs have been cut since 2016 (The Guardian).
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National Novel Writing Month, the organization that encourages anyone interested to write 50,000 words in one month (historically November), came out in support of using generative AI ... to the vocal dismay of many writers and members (Literary Hub).
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As promised, the one charming spot in this roundup: learn how the resident bats in the the Joanine Library in Coimbra, Portugal, play a key role in preserving the rare, old books there (Atlas Obscura).
Categories: Today in Books