Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Fight For Intellectual Freedom For Lgbtq+ Youth, Kelly Clark

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

One of the core values of the library profession is intellectual freedom, which espouses the rights of individuals to access information that includes all perspectives and lived experience. The past few years have seen that freedom threatened with a record number of book bans and challenges in school and public libraries, with a particular focus on materials for LGBTQ+ youth. This censorship assault is highly organized and grand in scope, backed by newly formed conservative groups and increasing instances of state legislation. While librarianship has a firm foundation in the American Library Association and its tools from which to draw, …

Forbidden Forests: Negotiating Censorship In Children's And Young Adult Literature During A New Era Of Conservatism In 2022 And Beyond, Avila Hendricks

Title III Professional Development Reports

Harambee! In Swahili, “Harambee” means “All pull together!” The impetus for this report grew out of a unifying discussion with other 2022 Children's Literature Association (ChLA) conference attendees.These discussions led to the decision to “pull together” against the rise of “extreme” conservatism and the increase of banned books across the United States.

This report offers insight into some of the issues surrounding the increase in censorship in children's and young adult literature. It includes a brief review of the recently scrutinized book, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, and it concludes with some recommendations for negotiating censorship in conservative communities.