We did not have “beloved rural Idaho library essential to the wellbeing of the kids in its community becomes ADULTS ONLY thanks to board action” on our 2024 bingo card, but here we are. Elections are important, folks. #idpol #vote

Meet Mychal Threets, a librarian who has amassed roughly 2 million followers across social platforms with his videos promoting the local institution as a friendly, underrated neighborhood hangout ti.me/3V1Fr99

It’s almost like a moral panic was entirely manufactured to advance a political agenda.

They slap the word ‘porn’ on each and every piece of literature that describes any sort of sexual feelings or experience. Yet refuse to admit under their own definition- the Bible would have to be included. They lack even a basic understanding of literary context.

We need to keep reminding folks that the book banners scream 'parents' rights' while literally removing choices from every other parent. It's Orwellian.

'after taking office and examining hundreds of pages of curriculum, Gore was shocked by what she found — and didn’t find. The pervasive indoctrination she had railed against simply did not exist.'

texastribune.org/2024/05/15/tex…

Book banners LOVE to say they just want pornography out of school libraries.

They're liars.

(a thread)

The library is your ultimate resource!! My libraries “Meet With A Social Worker” program has changed so many lives!! If you’re in the Las Vegas area and you come across any senior citizens looking for housing send them to Whitney Library!! LEADERS OF THE NEW COOL!

Neil Gaiman was right. You never want to mess with librarians. They are fierce warriors, and aren't we glad! Who better to protect our intellectual freedom?

It is always a relief, and a hard won victory, to see library books returned to shelves. But these books should never have been removed from student access, without formal reconsideration requests, in the first place.

star-telegram.com/news/local/edu…

Lede I didn't use: 'In public, Freedom Caucus co-chair Heather Scott was championing a bill to strengthen Idaho's ban on cannibalism. But behind the scenes, the Freedom Caucus was eating their own.'

Yes, libraries are invaluable for their collections and the services they offer, but also social contact without the expectation to interact with anyone or spend money is so important to so many people

Important thread. This is the proper response to a book challenge. NOT reading a pull quote out of context and removing a book because of it. Thank you, Frank, for taking the time to explain.

Recently retained in Fort Bend: People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins. The committee notes are SO revealing. “Nonsexual things in BookLooks, w/o context, seem strange, but w/in context, make sense. Nothing is being espoused or promoted once you read the book in entirety.”

AudienceSays Air Mail I share not to center myself, but to say: I understand better what you and other librarians and educators are going through.

Circling back to this excellent video essay, which includes an interview with a brave library worker in a red state (who led a successful unionization campaign!) to talk about her experience on the front lines of this culture war. Also, there are great memes throughout

This morning in Air Mail: An essay about the time some moms in Katy, Texas, threatened to report me to the police as a child sexual predator—and what it told me on the widespread attacks on LGBTQ authors, teachers and librarians.

Read it here: airmail.news/issues/2024-5-…

#IDLEG strategy on the right in Idaho: make laws murky, vague & hard to understand as a tool for social control by using the fear that you might break the law — because nobody knows what the law is. idahostatesman.com/opinion/reader…
idahostatesman.com/opinion/reader…

Thrilled to see this excerpt of “They Came for the Schools” in Chalkbeat!

It’s the story of how the “Southlake Playbook” was copied in suburbs across the country, helping bring sophisticated and divisive political strategies to America’s school boards chalkbeat.org/2024/05/10/the…