[Libs-Or] Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – October 2023

Tue Oct 31 15:00:00 PDT 2023

Hello Oregon Library Community,

Please find below the October edition of Multnomah County Library's
Intellectual Freedom Newsletter. A PDF version of the newsletter is
attached.

This month the newsletter is expanded to highlight articles on censorship
and related issues published in alignment with Banned Books Week
<https://bannedbooksweek.org/>. Many of the selected articles offer deeper
insights on the impact of censorship on students, teachers, authors, and
targeted communities and how groups are rising up to oppose book bans. Plus
find articles relating to privacy, AI and disinformation.

Thanks for reading to stay informed and all your work in
supporting intellectual freedom!

-Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Committee

Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions
Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – October 2023

------------------------------
Banned Books Week Highlights and Censorship News

The presenters of MCL’s Banned Book Week talk, Kelly Jensen
<https://kellybjensen.com/> and John Chrastka
<https://www.everylibrary.org/meet_our_staff> discussed the findings
of the Parent
Perceptions Survey
<https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/parent_perceptions_survey_2023>
conducted by BookRiot and EveryLibrary. Here is a summary of the survey
<https://bookriot.com/parent-perception-of-libraries-survey/> and the slides
<https://assets.nationbuilder.com/votelibraries/pages/6280/attachments/original/1695812549/Parent_Survey_Public_Libraries_Book_Bans_EveryLibrary_Book_riot_Sept_2023.pdf?1695812549>
from the presentation.

For Banned Books Week (BBW), The Washington Post shared insights on pushing
back against the current wave of censorship: Here’s how to fight for
libraries
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/02/banned-books-week-fight-censorship/>
(opinion, 7 min). USA Today offers a visual dive into book censorship
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/10/02/banned-books-week-data-visualization/70963214007/>
(5 min). Here is a short history of libraries and censorship: How
Librarians Became American Free Speech Heroes
<https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2023/10/05/librarians-censorship-book-bans-free-speech/ideas/essay/>
(Zócalo, 10 min).  Even fashion magazines are devoting space to censorship
issues and the value of libraries: The Stories We Tell
<https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/a44877761/book-ban-opener/>
(Bazaar). CNN highlights how book bans are taking an emotional toll on many
authors
<https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/04/style/book-bans-sales-authors-impact-cec/index.html>
(18 min). (censorship)

An array of personal perspectives on censorship were offered: Author
Margaret Renkl weighs in on book censorship: Great Books Will Always Be
Their Own Best Defense
<https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/opinion/book-bans-education-librarians.html>
(New York Times, 8 min). Journalists for USA Today provided personal
recommendations on banned books:  Why you should read these 51 banned books
now
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2023/09/29/banned-books-read-these-books-now-and-why-in-defense-of-books/71008499007/>
(60 min). Representative Lisa Finley-DeVille (Mandan Hidatsa Arikara
Nation) from North Dakota relays the importance of libraries: Please join
me in keeping our libraries free from censorship
<https://www.inforum.com/opinion/letters/letter-please-join-me-in-keeping-our-libraries-free-from-censorship>
(InForum, 2 min). A teen activist writes about the impact of censorship on
students and calls for action: The Rising Political Battle Over Censorship
<https://www.projectcensored.org/the-rising-political-battle-over-censorship-a-danger-to-humanity-acceptance-and-understanding/>
(Project Censored, 6 min). YA author Dan Solomon shares their perspective
on the importance of access to books
<https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/book-bans-texas-bookstores-lawsuit/>
and how bookstores are stepping up to fill gaps at schools (Texas Monthly,
14 min). (censorship, access)

LGBTQ+ authors, communities and subjects continue to be one of the main
targets of censorship and other challenges. Despite laws being enacted to
ban drag shows and reading events (see this explainer from Vox of the
recent legislation
<https://www.vox.com/2023/9/7/23860447/supreme-court-drag-shows-ban-tennessee-montana-texas-florida-queens>
(13 min)), many communities are pushing back against the challenges:
see Samuels
library in Va. has funding restored with LGBTQ policies unchanged
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/10/04/virginia-samuels-library-lgbtq-books/>
(Washington Post, 5 min) and Librarians Didn’t Sign Up to Be Queer
Activists—but This Year, They Are
<https://newrepublic.com/article/175567/librarians-new-queer-front-lines>
(New Republic, 18 min). One library celebrated the drag queens during BBW
and noted how the censorship is political:  'Banned Books, Banned People'
<https://provincetownindependent.org/top-stories/2023/10/04/banned-books-banned-people/>
(The Provincetown Independent, 9 min).  (censorship, diversity, access)

It has been noted that the majority of requests to remove books are coming
from 11 people
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/23/lgbtq-book-ban-challengers/>.
The Washington Post profiles one of the prolific challengers: Virginia mom
challenges one school book a week. She’s had dozens removed
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/09/28/virginia-frequent-school-book-challenger-spotsylvania/>
(20 min). Here is an in-depth look at the information dispersed by Moms for
Liberty and their rating system for BookLooks: What's behind the national
surge in book bans? A low-tech website tied to Moms for Liberty
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/10/05/website-driving-banned-books-surge-moms-for-liberty/70922213007/>
(USA Today, 24 min). In response to the actions of Moms for Liberty,
parents are protesting the group, see: parents’ groups rise up against
school book bans in Florida
<https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/10/17/parents-groups-rise-up-against-school-book-bans-in-florida/>
(Orlando Sentinel, 15 min) and Parents, advocates protest Moms for Liberty
meet: https://politicsinpractice.slj.com/2023/10/25/grassroots/ing in CT
<https://www.courant.com/2023/10/21/theres-just-no-place-for-bigotry-here-parents-advocates-protest-moms-for-liberty-meeting-in-ct/>
(Hartford Courant, 12 min). School Library Journal outlines how to organize
against book bans: Building Grassroots Support to Protect You and Your
Library <https://politicsinpractice.slj.com/2023/10/25/grassroots/> (10
min)  (censorship)

In response to recent legislation, book bans and censorship of history in
Florida
<https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/09/us/desantis-florida-social-studies-textbooks.html>,
Texas
<https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/09/us/desantis-florida-social-studies-textbooks.html>
and elsewhere in the U.S., educators and community leaders are forming a Black
history 'Underground Railroad'
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/09/30/black-history-bans-spark-action-beyond-classroom/70981951007/>
(U.S. Today, 12 min). Learn more about the impact of book bans on students
and teachers: First Book Studies Add Key Data to Book Ban Conversation
<https://www.slj.com/story/First-Book-Studies-Add-Key-Data-to-Book-Ban-Conversation?fbclid=IwAR1c3DgOf2p1C6ZM6MBU6f2LoPaMNDky9xkzpgj9sjr7ATjAjeEf1mPvNr8>
(School Library Journal, 5 min, direct link to the reports: Book Bans
Impact Study
<https://firstbook.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-Banned-Books-Survey-Results.pdf?utm_source=firstbook&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=bannedbooksstudy>
and
Diverse Books Impact Study
<https://firstbook.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-Impact-of-a-Diverse-Classroom-Library-FINAL-9-6-23.pdf>).
(censorship, diversity)

This Washington Post opinion piece looks at how sex ed books are being
weaponized
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/19/book-bans-iowa-kim-reynolds-gop-censorship/>
to define legislation and policies, and ultimately forcing schools and
libraries to censor materials (7 min). Although, some censorship is coming
from within libraries: Greenville County library system quietly censors
collection
<https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/politics/greenville-county-library-censoring-lgbtq-books-flag/article_4cb97242-6c43-11ee-adfd-df87cbfeec99.html>
(Post and Courier, 6min). Misinformation underlies discussions around
censorship: GOP congressman claims the Bible has been banned in America for
60 years
<https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/10/gop-congressman-claims-the-bible-has-been-banned-in-america-for-60-years/>
(LGBQT Nation, 7 min). CNN One Thing podcast dives into the implications of
book bans in politics: Florida’s Book Ban Playbook: Read the Racy Parts
<https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/one-thing/episodes/f0280f14-03b7-4268-94a9-b0a10113f737>
(16 min). (censorship, misinformation, legislation)

Publishers are attempting to navigate new state laws, in particular
Scholastic has opted to separate titles at book fairs, see U.S. book bans
are taking a toll on a beloved tradition: Scholastic Book Fairs
<https://www.npr.org/2023/10/17/1206219484/scholastic-book-fair-diversity-book-bans>
(NPR, 7 min) and Scholastic Book Fairs Will Separate Diverse Titles
<https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/us/scholastic-book-fair-diversity-censorship.html>
(New York Times, 7 min). School Library Journal reports on the responses
from librarians and educators to Scholastic’s decision
<https://www.slj.com/story/Outraged-at-Scholastics-Option-to-Opt-in-or-Out-of-Receiving-Diverse-Books-Librarians-Seek-Book-Fair-Alternatives>
(12 min).  Similarly, educators are uncertain about how the law applies
bringing about “soft censorship” in the classroom: Oklahoma Teachers Don’t
Know If It’s Legal to Teach “Killers of the Flower Moon” (
<https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/10/oklahoma-teachers-dont-know-if-its-legal-to-teach-killers-of-the-flower-moon/>Mother
Jones, 4 min)  (legislation, censorship)

For Prison Banned Books Week, PEN America released a report on censorship
in prisons <https://pen.org/campaign/prison-banned-books-week-2023/>
(direct link to full report: Reading Between the Bars
<https://pen.org/report/reading-between-the-bars/> (1 hr 40 min) (4 min).
Axios
<https://www.axios.com/2023/10/29/prisons-books-banned-report-censorship>
and The Hill
<https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4274510-thousands-books-banned-prisons-pen-america/>
provide a summary of PEN America’s findings (4 min). The Marshall Project
has created a database of books banned in prisons
<https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/12/21/prison-banned-books-list-find-your-state>.
(censorship)

Some little free libraries in Iowa are getting disclaimers due to state
restrictions
<https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/09/28/little-free-libraries-come-with-disclaimers-in-des-moines-school-districts/70922218007/>
on books in schools and libraries (Des Moines Register, 5 min, also
includes a video tour of Des Moines’ community-created “little” libraries).
In New York, a little free library needs to relocate after requests to be
removed by the board
<https://sippican.theweektoday.com/article/little-free-diverse-library-be-removed-rochester/65963>
from the grounds of the public library (Sippican Week, 4 min). (access,
legislation)

Privacy News

Electronic Frontier Foundation calls out how data on devices can be used as
government surveillance,
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/10/adtech-surveillance-and-government-surveillance-are-often-same-surveillance>
citing the bipartisan Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act
<https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-paul-and-bipartisan-senators-reintroduce-the-fourth-amendment-is-not-for-sale-act>
and the end of Section 702
<https://www.intel.gov/foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act/1237-fisa-section-702>
(set for renewal at the end of 2023) as a means to address the issue (4
min). (privacy)

The Guardian reports on the findings of an ACLU study on surveillance via
school computers: School surveillance tech does more harm than good, ACLU
report finds
<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/04/school-surveillance-tech-aclu-report>
(5 min). Access the full report by ACLU: Digital Dystopia: The Danger in
Buying What the EdTech Surveillance Industry is Selling
<https://www.aclu.org/report/digital-dystopia>. (privacy)

Concerns continues to be raised around the proposed Kids Online Safety Act,
including censor the news
<https://techpolicy.press/kids-online-safety-act-will-censor-the-news/> for
all audiences (Tech Policy, 7 min). (privacy)

The Atlanta (with sponsor Dashlane) offers a guide to online privacy. Three
Simple Rules for Protecting Your Data
<https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/09/managing-digital-privacy-personal-information-online/675184/>
(30 min). Consumer Reports has created Permission Slip
<https://permissionslipcr.com/>, a new app to help consumers manage their
privacy. The Washington Post provides an overview of the Permission Slip
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/03/delete-personal-data-privacy-free-app/>
(10 min). (privacy)

*AI Corner *The Urban Libraries Council announced a report on how public
libraries can lead the responsible use of AI
<https://www.urbanlibraries.org/newsroom/release-public-libraries-set-the-stage-for-integration-of-artificial-intelligence-in-their-services-and-resources>
(3 min, link to full report
<https://www.urbanlibraries.org/files/AI_Leadership-Brief_October2023.pdf>).
(information literacy)

The Washington Post offers guidance on how to avoid misinformation, fake AI
images on X, TikTok and social media
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/22/misinformation-ai-twitter-facebook-guide/>
(9 min). (information literacy)

A new report from Freedom House indicates that generative AI is boosting
the spread of disinformation and propaganda
<https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/04/1080801/generative-ai-boosting-disinformation-and-propaganda-freedom-house/>
(MIT Technology Review, 5 min, direct to the report: The Repressive Power
of Artificial Intelligence
<https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2023/repressive-power-artificial-intelligence>).
More warnings around how AI spreads misinformation: AI disinformation is a
threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian
meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024
<https://theconversation.com/ai-disinformation-is-a-threat-to-elections-learning-to-spot-russian-chinese-and-iranian-meddling-in-other-countries-can-help-the-us-prepare-for-2024-214358>
(The Conversation, 8 min) and The U.S. Isn’t Ready for AI-Fueled
Disinformation—But China Is
<https://time.com/6320638/ai-disinformation-china/> (Time, 7 min). (
disinformation)

Additional Resources
ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: https://www.oif.ala.org. A blog dedicated to
intellectual freedom issues, and includes the Intellectual Freedom News
<https://www.oif.ala.org/category/intellectual-freedom-news/> –a weekly
roundup of IF related articles.

Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Toolkit
<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/iftoolkit/home> (published February 8,
2022). 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 at lib.ifc at multco.us.

*Jennifer Keyser *(she/her)
*Policy Coordinator Librarian*
Monday - Friday
971-429-4699
Multnomah County Library
multcolib.org
[This email was encrypted for your privacy and security]
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