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Nationwide spike in book challenges continues. How are º£½Ç»»ÆÞ librarians responding?

St. Tammany Parish library director Kelly LaRocca shows off a cart of books that were removed from the shelves at the Peter L. Pete Gitz Library on February 13, 2023 in Madisonville, Louisiana. Librarians around the country are facing backlash from right-wing groups and parents who want books about race and sexuality removed from libraries.
Joshua Lott
/
The Washington Post via Getty Images
St. Tammany Parish library director Kelly LaRocca shows off a cart of books that were removed from the shelves at the Peter L. Pete Gitz Library on February 13, 2023 in Madisonville, Louisiana. Librarians around the country are facing backlash from right-wing groups and parents who want books about race and sexuality removed from libraries.

The American Library Association released their on Thursday.

They reported over 1,200 demands to "censor" library books or resources last year, breaking the 2021 record of 729, and marking the highest number of book challenges since the ALA began recording them more than 20 years ago. Last year, the ALA told us those numbers were "unprecedented."

Librarians where we live say they’ve seen similar spikes in recent years.

This hour, hear from Sam Lee, co-chair of the º£½Ç»»ÆÞ Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and local librarian Kate Byroade, who recently fielded a .

Plus, the ALA digs into their , and their observation that "lists of books compiled by organized censorship groups contributed significantly to the skyrocketing number of challenges and the frequency with which each title was challenged."

GUESTS:

  • Samantha Lee: Chair, Intellectual Freedom Committee; Head of Reference Services, Enfield Public Library
  • Deborah Caldwell-Stone: Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom
  • Kate Byroade: Library Director, Cragin Memorial Library in Colchester; Co-Chair, º£½Ç»»ÆÞ Library Association Legislative Committee
  • Sarah Warbelow: Legal Director,

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Katie is a producer for º£½Ç»»ÆÞ Radio's news-talk show 'Where We Live.' She has previously worked for CNN and News 8-WTNH.
Catherine is the Host of º£½Ç»»ÆÞ’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live. Catherine and the WWL team focus on going beyond the headlines to bring in meaningful conversations that put º£½Ç»»ÆÞ in context.