North Carolina District Students To Lose Access to Public Library Resources Through School ID | The Star [via Yahoo!]
Beginning Oct. 22, Cleveland County (NC) Schools students will no longer have access to library materials using their student lunch numbers or ID. Students can still get a traditional public library card with a parent or legal guardian present. The school system has cited a new bill, which requires local boards to limit student access to only age-appropriate materials, as the reason for the change.

Florida Appeals Ruling on Book Removals in First Amendment Lawsuit | WUSF
Florida has appealed a federal judge’s ruling that said a key part of a 2023 Florida law that led to books being removed from school library shelves is “overbroad and unconstitutional.” Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office, representing members of the State Board of Education, filed a notice that is a first step in appealing U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza’s ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Penguin Random House v. Gibson.

Florida County District Set To Weigh End of Citizen Book Committees | WUWF
Escambia County, FL, school leaders are weighing whether to eliminate citizen-led book review committees and replace them with a faster, administrator-run process that sends final decisions directly to the School Board. The choice comes as Florida districts face new requirements for how they vet and remove school library titles and as Escambia sits at the center of a closely watched federal lawsuit over book restrictions.

One draft would keep the ad hoc citizen panels that have handled challenges in recent years, while the other would retire them and instead have a small district team under the superintendent review objections, apply written criteria, and forward recommendations to the elected board for a public vote.

Recent Iowa State Board Decision Opens Questions Around Iowa’s Book Ban Law | KCRG
Two years ago, Iowa lawmakers put broad limits on sexual content in schools. But now, a parent and the state board of education are looking for more guidance on racial content. Dallas Center–Grimes parent Shellie Flockhart protested two books included in her son’s English class: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang and This is My America by Kim Johnson. Both tackle issues of racism. Flockhart claims the books violate a 2021 law banning the teachings of critical race theory.

“The material fosters division, shame, victimization, and heightened racism,” she said. “By training students to review everything through the lens of racism, it reverses progress.”

The superintendent, a review committee, and an Administrative Law Judge all agreed that the books could remain in the classroom.

Nevada School District Leadership Responds To Claims of a Book Ban | KLAS
Claims of a soft book ban in Las Vegas area schools spurred a protest at a district meeting, but Moms for Liberty representatives said questioning some books is valid. Protestors, some with Read Freely Nevada, gathered at the Clark County (NV) School District Education Center to call for action after an email from the Sierra Vista High School principal suggested administrators take a look at any books that could be controversial.

“A good starting point is the Moms for Liberty website, and you can sort by rating score,” the principal wrote. “From there, you can determine whether to ‘weed’ the title (an option if the book has not been checked out in years) or just leave it on your shelf.”

Read Freely Nevada made statements at the school district meeting, calling, among other items, for the Sierra Vista High School principal’s resignation.

New Connecticut Law Seeks To Get Schools on Same Page for Library Book Challenges | Connecticut Public
Under the new Connecticut law, a school board has to adopt three policies: a collection, development and maintenance policy; a library display and program policy; and a library material review policy. The law, which also contains provisions for public libraries’ collection and review policies, passed after lawmakers folded the language into this year’s state budget.