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Nonfiction Views: The state of book banning on Day 100, plus the week's notable new nonfiction [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-29
Here are some news stories from the war on books and knowledge on this 100th day of the Trump administration. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more going on in every state. But as you’ll see in the comment I’m reposting below these three news stories, my public library here in Tempe Arizona continues to stand strong.
Institute of Museum and Library Services Staffers Cry Foul as New Leadership Continues to ‘Slash and Burn’
A month has passed since a March 14 executive order called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Since then, all but 12 of the agency’s staff of approximately 75 employees have been put on paid administrative leave and received notice of an agency-wide reduction in force to take place May 4….Three furloughed IMLS staff members, who spoke with PW on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, said that of the 12 people still working in the agency, only two are managing operations specific to library services. Among them is Lisa Solomson, whom the sources affirm has been newly appointed acting deputy director of library services, which they considered an unusually significant promotion from a project specialist role. Solomson, the sources noted, is married to Matthew H. Solomson, a federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump at the end of his first term.
ACLU of Tennessee Lawsuit Looks to Stop Book Bans in Rutherford County
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit April 16 against the Rutherford County Board of Education in response to the banning and restriction of more than 140 books from school libraries in that Tennessee county. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee at Nashville, was brought on behalf of three Rutherford County families and PEN America, and alleges that the bans are illegal and a violation of First Amendment rights. The lawsuit comes after the Rutherford County school board began banning materials in the spring of 2024 through informal requests by school board members, initially without any public meeting or vote of the board. By September 2024, members of the board indicated they were not reading the books they were banning, but relied almost exclusively on the BookLooks rating system created by individuals associated with the conservative advocacy group Moms for Liberty to target books for removal…. Critics note that the bill's revised definition of "harmful to minors" explicitly rejects consideration of a book's literary, artistic, political, or scientific value if sexual content is present—a departure from established constitutional standards. If enacted, the legislation could affect such widely-taught literary works as Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which have already faced challenges in other Florida districts.
Literary Advocates Condemn Florida Book Banning Bill
A coalition of literary organizations, anti-censorship advocacy groups, and Florida education stakeholders has formally opposed Florida House Bill 1539, legislation they claim would significantly restrict students' access to books in Florida public schools.
The bill would amend existing Florida statutes to require school districts to remove any book deemed "harmful to minors" within five days of a challenge, regardless of whether the material has undergone proper review processes.
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Here is a comment I posted to the Black Kos diary earlier today, celebrating my local library’s continuing devotion to presenting diverse voices.
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x Question 1. In Horace Walpole's 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, the protagonist's son Conrad is crushed by a gigantic helmet that falls from above. How many giant helmets could be transported in the typical 18-wheeler? #BookSky — The Literate Lizard (@theliteratelizard.bsky.social) 2025-04-30T00:43:24.182Z
THIS WEEK’S NOTABLE NEW NONFICTION
All book links in this diary are to my online bookstore The Literate Lizard. If you already have a favorite indie bookstore, please keep supporting them, but if you’re able to throw a little business my way, that would be truly appreciated. I would love to be considered ‘The Official Bookstore of Daily Kos.’ Use the coupon code DAILYKOS for 15% off your order, in gratitude for your support (an ever-changing smattering of new releases are already discounted 20% each week). I’m busily adding new content every day, and will have lots more dedicated subject pages and curated booklists as it grows. I want it to be full of book-lined rabbit holes to lose yourself in (and maybe throw some of those books into a shopping cart as well.)
We also partner Libro.fm for audiobooks. Libro.fm is similar to Amazon’s Audible, with a la carte audiobooks, or a $14.99 monthly membership which includes the audiobook of your choice and 20% off subsequent purchases during the month. Note that the DAILYKOS coupon code is only for the bookstore, not for the audiobook affiliate.
I’m adding more books every week to my RESIST! 20% off promotion. The coupon code RESIST gets you 20% off any of the books featured there.
READERS & BOOK LOVERS SERIES SCHEDULE
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