A pair of Illinois state officials testified Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the state General Assembly's adoption of a bill to protect libraries from book bans and other interference.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulais and University of Illinois Associate Professor Emily Knox explained to the committee why Illinois House Bill 2789 was aimed at preserving the rights and freedoms of Illinoisans -- and all Americans -- to have access to literature.
Giannoulais said many of the parent groups demanding that books they consider "offensive" or "obscene" be removed from libraries are motivated by ideology.
"Our libraries have become targets by a movement that disingenuously claims to pursue freedom, but is instead promoting authoritarianism. Authoritarian regimes ban books - not democracies," Giannoulais said.
The committee, chaired by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, was examining the Illinois measure -- the only statewide bill of its kind in the country -- to see if such a law should be passed at the federal level. Others testifying included a researcher at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute and a representative of a First Amendment group that encourages parents to challenge librarians over books they consider improper.
In Giannoulias' view, radical groups have divided schools and communities and harassed, threatened, and intimidated librarians for simply doing their jobs.
"This 'right-to-read' legislation will help remove the pressure that librarians have tragically had to endure over the last couple of years. Both the concept and practice of banning books contradicts the very essence of what our country stands for and what our democracy was founded on," Giannoulias continued.
Knox, the author of "Book Banning in 21st-Century America," is also chair of the board of the National Coalition Against Censorship, which promotes freedom of thought and inquiry. She says most of the books are about diverse cultures, or LGBTQ, Native people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural and religious minorities.
"These campaigns to censor books are unconstitutional and against every person's right to intellectual freedom, the right of every individual to hold, express opinions and seek access, receive and impart information and ideas without restriction," she explained.
get more stories like this via email
Gov. Jared Polis has designated seven Colorado colleges and universities as Career Connected Campuses for their work getting more students from all parts of the state and backgrounds ready for high-demand, good-paying jobs driving the state's economy.
Gillian McKnight-Tutein, senior educational equity officer for the Colorado Department of Higher Education, said the schools have prioritized practical skills for students.
"They are committed to the professional development and career readiness, while those students are in the classroom," McKnight-Tutein explained.
In Colorado, 75% of all jobs, and 94% of top jobs paying enough to sustain a family, require some form of education beyond high school. But just 50% of high school grads are pursuing postsecondary education. The schools receiving the first-ever designation are Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, the online Colorado State University Global, Pueblo Community College, Regis University, Colorado University-Denver, and the University of Denver.
The state has been working to remove cost as a barrier for students and many certificate and degree programs are zero-tuition. McKnight-Tutein pointed out more schools are helping students who cannot afford to take time off work by helping them get jobs that also count toward academic requirements.
"There are scholarships. The costs are defrayed, but for the apprenticeship situation, those jobs actually pay," McKnight-Tutein noted. "They're actually making money before graduation."
The new designation reinforces the agency's Social Determinants of Student Success initiative which, as McKnight-Tutein added, works to ensure that students' basic needs such as food, shelter and health care are met, so students can stay in school.
"Because we know that it's not just about them getting there," McKnight-Tutein stressed. "It's about them being able to sustain their lives. Financially, they have families that they need to take care of sometimes. So we want to make sure that all those supports are around them."
get more stories like this via email
As winter break approaches, Alabama's Summer Adventures in Learning program is encouraging parents to think ahead to summer, particularly as quality summer learning options continue to shrink across the nation.
SAIL emphasized access to strong summer programs can have a meaningful effect on students, especially in preventing learning setbacks.
Suzy Harris, program manager for Summer Adventures in Learning, said early planning could help families secure a spot in programs designed to support students' academic and social growth over the summer.
"Under-resourced youths in particular are affected by summer learning loss at a higher degree," Harris explained. "Because they don't have the access to going on trips or going to minicamp at a museum, or going to the library regularly."
In Alabama, SAIL programs provided reading and math instruction to more than 2,300 students this past summer, combining academics with recreational activities to keep students engaged. For many families, the programs also addressed gaps in summer resources when it comes to meals and access to other educational opportunities.
Harris noted the program benefits teachers too, giving them the freedom to be creative and adapt lessons to meet students' specific needs. The flexibility creates a more engaging and effective learning environment over the summer.
"Teachers have the opportunity to experiment with how they're teaching and with new lesson plans," Harris pointed out. "They don't have the burden of all the extra paperwork and they can have fun in how they're doing lessons."
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly half of public schools offer summer school programs, primarily aimed at helping students with remedial learning or credit recovery. However, fewer schools, around 20 %, provide broader summer recreation programs, which include activities such as sports, games and youth development.
Among schools providing summer classes, 23% report staffing shortages, limiting their ability to accommodate all interested or at-risk students.
get more stories like this via email
Librarians in Connecticut and nationwide are worried about the ramifications of Donald Trump's second term as president.
Some are concerned elements of Project 2025, such as ending federal funding for state and public libraries, will be part of his policy agenda. Trump repeatedly tried to slash such funding during his first term.
Peter Bromberg, associate director of the advocacy group EveryLibrary, found another element of shifting policies is censorship by labeling books as pornographic. He noted the word "pornographic" is a stand-in for a book having LGBTQ+ material.
"What is getting banned as pornographic are mainstream books, are classic books, or award-winning books," Bromberg explained. "Even picture books like 'And Tango Makes Three', 'Heather Has Two Mommies', or a biography of Billie Jean King that's a picture book that's age-appropriate but it mentions that she's a gay woman."
The politicization of libraries has only grown since Trump left office. Book bans have peaked in recent years. Connecticut saw 113 books targeted in 2023, with most books involving LGBTQ+ content. A General Assembly bill was created to reduce the power of school and library boards to restrict books in response to some boards doing so. The bill received mixed reactions at a public hearing and failed to make it out of committee.
However, book bans are not highly favored despite ongoing increases. An American Library Association survey showed most voters support librarians' authority over what is on the shelves. Other polls showed political candidates favoring book bans are unlikely to be supported.
Bromberg stressed partisan divisiveness has only made the problem snowball.
"Once groups are formed and money starts coming in to fund these types of political projects, and I think as we've seen, as we continue to see, people's anger and people's distrust and people's fear can be weaponized and can be hijacked towards political ends," Bromberg emphasized.
Other means of censoring libraries are growing, too. Numerous state bills criminalizing libraries and charging librarians with crimes for allowing children to take out certain books have been introduced.
get more stories like this via email
Contact
