U.S. Banned Books Week News Links

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Curated links of banned books news stories from the U.S. that you should read if you are concerned about intellectual freedom and the freedom to read. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye challenge is of particular interest, as the author is from Ohio and the challenge to her novel originated from an official at the Ohio State Board of Education.

Practice of Banning Books Still Going Strong | Future Librarians for Intellectual Freedom

Banned Books Week: ‘Captain Underpants’ tops list of challenged books; 10 most challenged books of 2012 | CNN.com

Banned Books Week 2013: Books about LGBT Families Remain Targets of Censorship | ACLU

America’s most surprising banned books | The Week

10 Surprising Books That Parents Have Tried To Ban From Schools | Business Insider

Beauty is Truth: The Case Against Banning The Bluest Eye | The Millions AND Controversy Brews Over Official Comments About Author [Toni Morrison] | nbc4i.com

Freedom to Read Under Fire as Attempts to Ban Books Continue | HuffPost Books

7 Reasons Your Favorite Books Were Banned | HuffPost Books

You may also like:

Banned Books Week | bannedbooksweek.org

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read | ALA.org and ALA’s Pinterest Page

Freedom to Read: Raising Awareness, Celebrating Freedom of Expression, Encouraging Participation| freedomtoread.ca
Canada’s Freedom to Read Week – February 23-March 1, 2014

35 Great Travel Books That Will Take You Around the World Without a Plane Ticket | Flavorwire

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Travel writing is a glamorous but difficult genre. To a reader it’s an easy sell: you get to go to fantastic places and see unusual things without spending the money.

In this list, I’ve observed the following parameters: no recent blockbusters, like Eat, Pray, Love or Wild, as many of the world’s regions as one could possibly fit, and steering away from the older, 19th-century popular travel books unless there was something particularly remarkable about them.

See the list: 35 Great Travel Books That Will Take You Around the World Without a Plane Ticket | Flavorwire.

Infographic Shows Good News about Library Fair Use [Infographic] | ARL®

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Infographic Shows Good News about Library Fair Use | Association of Research Libraries® | ARL®.

Library Fair Use

Job Hunters’ Web Guide Guide | Hiring Librarians

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We’ve been featuring different websites for LIS job hunters for about six months now, and I thought it was time to share our list. 

So, in alphabetical order, here are the websites we’ve featured since starting with INALJ on December 6, 2012.

See the list of links: Job Hunters’ Web Guide Guide | Hiring Librarians.

Teachers ‘frustrated’ over Reading for Pleasure | The Bookseller

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Teachers have a strong desire to teach reading for pleasure but feel frustrated by a restrictive curriculum, a lack of support from parents and a drop-off in school librarian numbers, according to publisher Egmont.

In the latest instalment of Egmont’s Reading Street study into children’s reading habits, the publisher’s consumer insight team surveyed 250 teachers about their pupils’ reading. The majority were classroom teachers, with 77% teaching children at primary stage and 66% having been in the profession for more than a decade.

Over half the teachers surveyed said there had been a decline in the number of children who read for pleasure over the course of their career, with the majority observing this trend over the past decade.

Read the full story: Teachers ‘frustrated’ over Reading for Pleasure | The Bookseller.

8 Ways to Use Instagram’s API | Mashable

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Instagram has become one of the web’s most popular platforms for photo and video sharing. To help users integrate the social network even further into their daily lives, it has released a public application programming interface (API).

For those who have never heard the term before, an API is a seamless software-to-software interface, meaning there is no user involvement during the passing of information. For example, when you enter credit card information to make an online purchase, the website sends your credit card information through an API to another application, which confirms that the provided information is correct.

By using Instagram’s public API, users — tech-savvy or otherwise — have a number of options on how to best implement the code. For some ideas on how to begin, here are eight basic ways to use the API for your own online presence.

Discusses:

  1. Search Tags
  2. Incorporate Photos on Websites
  3. View Photos from Specific Locations in Real Time
  4. View Popular and Trending Photos
  5. Print Photos from Events and Tags Instantly
  6. Make Custom Items
  7. Market Venues, Events and Businesses
  8. Create Event Live Feeds

Read 8 Ways to Use Instagram’s API | Mashable.

Working, Volunteering, or Interning Before Library School | Hack Library School

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If you’re considering library school, if you’ve been accepted, and especially if you’re already there, I would strongly recommend getting hands-on experience as soon as possible. An internship or even just a bit of volunteering will help you to build a foundation of knowledge and skills as you pursue your degree. 

Read Working, Volunteering, or Interning Before Library School | Hack Library School.

DragonCon Carpet Cosplayers Copyright | The Mary Sue

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How about a Monday morning diversion?

At DragonCon last month, a couple of cosplayers decided to sidestep the usual fare of superheroes and cartoon characters in favor of dressing up as the carpet at the Marriott hotel where the con takes place. Yup, there was carpet-colored camo. That is a real thing that now exists. Naturally, other people wanted to emulate the design, but, alas, this psychedelic carpet army was not to be – because Courtisan Inc., the company that designed the original rug, issued a Cease and Desist soon after the design went up.

Carpet Cosplay

Volpin Props, the cosplay designer, posted on their facebook page about the incident and received almost 300 comments, ranging from serious discussion of copyright and intellectual property to expressions of surprise that anyone would admit to having designed such an ugly carpet. Still, Volpin Props has gracefully stated that they are “in complete agreement with [Courtisans] decision,” so it looks like anyone looking to blend in with the carpeting in the future will have to make their own costume. Or maybe they should try the wallpaper? Carpet controversy aside, I think that we all can rest easy knowing that this photo exists:

Carpet Cosplay

The moral of the story is A. Cosplayers are will always find new ways to be creative and awesome and B.You can’t sell carpets that don’t belong to you, no matter how ugly they are.

via DragonCon Carpet Cosplayers Copyright | The Mary Sue.

Download free copy of The Library Publishing Toolkit | Stephen’s Lighthouse

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Download free copy of The Library Publishing Toolkit | Stephen’s Lighthouse

The Library Publishing Toolkit looks at the broad and varied landscape of library publishing through discussions, case studies, and shared resources. From supporting writers and authors in the public library setting to hosting open access journals and books, this collection examines opportunities for libraries to leverage their position and resources to create and provide access to content.

New Download free copy of The Library Publishing Toolkit – Stephen's Lighthouse

Things to Consider When Applying to Library School | Hack Library School

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Making the decision to go back to school can be daunting, let along deciding which school is right for you.  Not all library schools are created equal, and it’s important to find the best match for you. Here are a few things to take into consideration as you narrow down your choices and make your decisions. 

Discusses:

  • Location
  • Online vs. Campus
  • Specialization
  • Opportunities for Work

via Things to Consider When Applying to Library School | Hack Library School.