Filed by Gary Price

The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing, “Book Bans: Examining How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature” was held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.  A keyword searchable version of the video recording is available via the C-SPAN Video Library.

Library Journal announced that Barbara Hoffert, Editor of Prepub Alert, will retire effective September 14. In a career spanning more than 37 years, Hoffert has been a key voice within the LJ book review and in book criticism, herself shining a light on over a thousand titles each year through her prepublication recommendations and reviews.

From the Princeton University Library “Special Collections” Blog Post by Stephen Ferguson and Emma Sarconi: The majority of the books in the collection are gifts–inscribed from authors and academics to Oppenheimer (or as Christopher Fry writes, “Oppy”) and Kitty. Some, however, are clearly the Oppenheimer’s personal copies. Henry James’ The Ambassadors, James Joyce and Francis Ferguson’s New Directions, and Abraham Lincoln’s Collected Works all offer a peek into an open and vast mind.

From a Post on The Conversation by Nicole Cooke. Associate Professor of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina: The drive to challenge, ban or censor books has not only changed the lives of librarians across the nation. It’s also changing the way librarians are now educated to enter the profession. As a library school educator, I hear the anecdotes, questions and concerns from library workers who are on the front lines of the current fight and are not sure how to react or respond.

Former President of the United States Barack Obama published an open letter on Monday, extending his support to America’s librarians in an era of rising book challenges and growing personal attacks against those who resist them.

To celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the Boston Public Library (BPL) is releasing the We Are Pride booklist, hosting a variety of programs across BPL locations, and highlighting items from the Special Collections department during the month of June. The We Are Pride booklist contains 75 recently published fiction and non-fiction titles for children, teenagers, and adults from authors such as Janelle Monáe, Akwaeke Emezi, Andrew Holleran, Maulik Pancholy, Casey McQuiston, Joshua Whitehead, and Danica Roem.

Media Source, Inc., a literacy solution provider to K–12 schools, public and school libraries, and higher education institutions, has announced the appointment of Scott Crawford as the new President & General Manager of AKJ Education, a Baltimore, MD, based wholesaler serving libraries and schools with quality educational materials, effective immediately.

From WOOD-TV: Voters have again rejected a millage that covers the bulk of the budget for the Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, casting its future into serious doubt.

From Reuters: “A planned $2.2 billion merger of Penguin Random House, the world’s largest book publisher, and rival Simon & Schuster cannot go forward, a judge ruled on Monday.