Meeting Rooms, Displays, and Drag Queen Storytimes Discussed at ALA Midwinter

Meeting room policies, drag queen storytimes, research databases, and library book displays have made headlines and sparked controversy in libraries. At the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) hosted “Intellectual Freedom and the Law: Issues and Updates for Meeting Rooms, Drag Queen Storytimes, and Library Displays,” a program that provided information about the legal issues surrounding these topics, as well as guidance on crafting library policies that protect and meet the needs of the library and its community; uphold intellectual freedom; and comply with the law. The program provided ample time for audience questions and discussion.

This News You Can Use session was presented by Theresa Chmara, general counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and moderated by Deborah Caldwell-Stone, deputy director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Book displays, research databases, and drag queen storytime programs have been the targets of recent censorship attempts, including lawsuits intended to halt library programs and remove library resources. An important conversation about meeting room policies and access for controversial groups took place in the library community after the adoption of the revised “Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights” during the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, sparking a return to the 1991 interpretation and a proposed revision to address these concerns. “Intellectual Freedom and the Law” will use these real-life issues to outline relevant legal concepts and offer guidance on developing effective library policy. The presenters encouraged attendees to raise questions and concerns during the latter half of the program.

LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists

The LITA Committee Recognizing Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction presents the 2019 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. The lists are composed of notable children’s and young adult science fiction published in 2018 and organized in three age-appropriate categories. The annotated lists will be posted on the website at www.sfnotables.org.

The Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List is selected from books intended for preschool children and very early readers, up to 6 years old. Recognition is given to the author and the illustrator:

Bitty Bot's Big Beach Getaway by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books.

Breaking News: Alien Alert by David Biedrzycki. Charlesbridge.

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

If You Had a Jetpack by Lisl H. Detlefsen, illustrated by Linzie Hunter. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Little Robot Alone by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest,illustrated by Matt Phelan. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers.

A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade, illustrated by Melanie Demmer. Capstone Editions.

The Eleanor Cameron Notable Middle Grade Books List titles are chapter books or short novels that may be illustrated. They are written for ages 7 - 11. Containing more science fiction than fantasy, the main characters are problem solvers and science users rather than someone who must be rescued. This list is named for Eleanor Cameron, author of the Mushroom Planet series.

CatStronauts: Robot Rescue by Drew Brockington. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Jamie Drake Equation by Christopher Edge. Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

Margot and Mateo Save the World by Darcy Miller. HarperCollins.

Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron. David Fickling Books.

A Problematic Paradox by Eliot Sappingfield. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

Quantum Mechanics by Jeff Weigel. Lion Forge.

Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks. Disney-Hyperion.

Star Scouts: The League of Lasers by Mike Lawrence. First Second.

The Story Pirates Present: Stuck in the Stone Age by Geoff Rodkey, illustrated by Hatem Aly, Rodale Kids.

Too Much Space! (Beep and Bob) by Jonathan Roth. Aladdin.

Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout. HarperCollins.

Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

The Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List contains science fiction books written for ages 12 - 18 with a young adult protagonist, a teenager who must make adult decisions. This list is named for Hal Clement, the pen name of Harry Stubbs, a well-known science fiction writer and high school science teacher who promoted children’s science fiction.

A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole. Katherine Tegen Books.

Cross Fire: An Exo Novel by Fonda Lee. Scholastic Press.

The Future Will be B S Free by Will Mcintosh. Delacorte Press.

Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre. Katherine Tegen Books.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan. Albert Whitman & Company.

Impostors by Scott Westerfeld. Scholastic Press.

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda. Feiwel and Friends.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Delacorte Press.

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette. John Joseph Adams Books.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna. Sky Pony.

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton. Delacorte Press.

This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson. HarperTeen.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Disney-Hyperion.

Your One & Only by Adrianne Finlay. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers.

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