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Harvard sues Trump administration to halt federal ban on enrolling international students; New climate change research: People can't fight it alone; Imprisoning KY parents has worsened foster care crisis; Soap Box Derby prepares future IN race car drivers.

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A deadlocked Supreme Court prevents nation's first publicly funded religious school, House Republicans celebrate passage of their domestic policy bill, and Trump administration sues states for taking climate action.

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Despite lawmaker efforts, rural communities still short of crucial broadband, new Trump administration priorities force USDA grant recipients to reapply, and Appalachia's traditional broom-making craft gets an economic boost from an international nonprofit.

Arkansas librarian out of a job for not 'banning books'

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Friday, November 3, 2023   

In Arkansas and across the nation, book bans are becoming more common. The American Library Association says there were almost 700 attempts to censor library materials nationwide from January to August, and more than 1,900 challenges of specific book titles.

In Saline County, Patty Hector said she was removed from her position as library director for not banning books.

She said a county judge and Quorum Court wrote a resolution advising her to pick out "harmful" books and move them so children couldn't access them. Hector said her response led to her being fired.

"There's no place in the library that people can't get to. So I said no, and then that was what got me in trouble," she said. "I said no to them. And you don't say 'no' to a bunch of men. And the books they picked out are LGBTQ and race - two-thirds of them are."

As Hector described it, a resolution accusing her of fraud "was written by the Saline County Republican Committee." She added that after the committee reported her for "violating the Freedom of Information Act 90 times," she had to spend many months answering questions about her job and library expenses.

Hector said the committee also put up a billboard on Interstate 30 that said "Stop X-Rated library books, SalineLibrary.com."

She said some Arkansas lawmakers worked to pass a bill that would criminalize librarians - but that law was blocked by a federal judge this year.

"Act 372 was going to make it a felony for a librarian to give anybody a book that's 'obscene,' which they couldn't define," she said, "and that has been determined by a judge to be unconstitutional."

Hector noted that several books with topics on sex education and homosexuality were under scrutiny. And a book entitled "The Talk", about conversations that Black parents have with their children, was another title the committee objected to.

Disclosure: American Library Association contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Children's Issues, Education, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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