Internet Archive vowed to appeal after a U.S. district court judge on Friday sided with four major publishers who sued the nonprofit for copyright infringement. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Internet Archives operated a controlled digital lending system, allowing users to digitally check out scanned copies of purchased or donated books on a one-to-one basis. As the public health crises forced… Source Source / Read More: Internet Archive to Appeal Federal Ruling Against Lending of Digital Books
libraries
As the Public Focuses on Book Bans, the Right Is Quietly Defunding Libraries
The war on libraries is being fought on two fronts. On the first, we have extremists calling on librarians to repent for the sin of building collections and offering programming related to LGBTQ+ experiences. Proud Boys show up armed to protest Drag Queen Story Hours. The cops are called to investigate allegedly “obscene” materials on the shelves during Pride month. The second front… Source Source / Read More: As the Public Focuses on Book Bans, the Right Is Quietly Defunding Libraries
Louisiana Communities Organize to Defend Libraries From Far Right Censorship
Lynette Mejia, a self-described “homeschool parent,” has raised three children in the Lafayette Public Library System in Louisiana. Until early 2021, “I was the average person sitting around the table complaining about politics,” Mejia said. Then Mejia discovered something that troubled her: The Lafayette Board of Control, which governs the public library system in Lafayette, had been stacked with… Source Source / Read More: Louisiana Communities Organize to Defend Libraries From Far Right Censorship
Book-Banning Attempts in US Have Reached Unprecedented Level, Libraries Report
Right-wing attempts to ban books are showing no sign of slowing down, according to a report released Friday by the American Library Association — and in fact have reached an unprecedented level, with libraries and bookstores increasingly facing legal threats over the materials on their shelves. The organization, which has been tracking book-banning efforts for more than 20 years, found that so far in 2022, parents and other community members have “challenged” 1,651 different books and have issued 681 complaints across the country. 681 challenges to books in the first eight months of this year, involving 1,651 different titles. #UniteAgainstBookBans…
More Book Bans Sought in 2021 Than Any Other Point in Past 20 Years, Group Says
Findings from a library organization published on Monday showcase that efforts from right wing groups and parents across the country to restrict access to books represent the highest number of challenges to book titles since the year 2000. According to the American Library Association (ALA), which has been tracking such challenges for over 20 years, more than 700 challenges were made in 2021. These efforts to ban books were directed toward ones that were written by or depict the lives of Black or LGBTQ individuals. “ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and…