Speaking Out

A coalition that includes the Authors Guild, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, EveryLibrary, and We Need Diverse Books is decrying a proposed bill in Florida that would require school districts to immediately remove any book challenged as “harmful to minors,” even if that title hasn’t undergone review. Albert Whitman & Co. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, capping off a troubled few years for the children’s publisher characterized by financial woes and mounting complaints from authors and literary agents. We chatted with the filmmakers behind two new documentaries that shine a spotlight on the importance of libraries and the fight for the freedom to read. And for our indie bookselling feature in this week’s magazine, we looked at a bevy of new books about the beauty, history, and impact of bookstores. The governor of North Dakota has vetoed a bill that would have restricted library books for minors and threatened noncomplying librarians with prosecution, reports the New York Times. The Financial Times considers how publishing is grappling with where to draw the line on AI. The King Kong franchise is expanding into the world of books, reports Deadline. For the Comics Journal, British cartoonist Rebecca Burke reflects on her detainment by ICE. The Guardian looks at a new wave of literary gatherings in the U.K. And the New York Review of Books considers the life of Belle da Costa Greene, the trailblazing librarian to J.P. Morgan and first director of the Morgan Library.