The Little Library of Poisonous Books

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries.

New: Thanks to advocates from across the country, library funding was not only included in the FY26 federal budget, it was increased. Your advocacy made a difference for libraries!

Share your appreciation for the library funding measures: app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-pag... #FundLibraries

The image is a graphic with text criticizing the Trump administration for violating the First Amendment by arresting a journalist, highlighting misuse of government power against the free press. It attributes the quote to Tim Richardson, program director for Journalism and Disinformation, and includes the PEN America logo.

PEN America: Arrest of Don Lemon is yet another blatant violation of the First Amendment. His arrest while covering a Minneapolis protest is another example of the Trump White House’s “misuse of government power to deflect accountability and intimidate a free press.” More at: pen.org/press-releas...

Journalism organizations condemn the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort as vindictive attacks on press freedom • The TRiiBE Two Black journalists were arrested by federal agents days after both filmed an anti-ICE protest inside a Minnesota church.

Journalist @donlemonofficial.bsky.social "has every right to document news and inform the public," FPF's Seth Stern said.

Two courts already rejected prosecuting him, but instead of accepting defeat, "the government has now doubled down."

Read more in @thetriibe.com:

Text in graphic reads: "Book Bans Wrapped: ALA, Book Riot, Florida Freedom to Read Project, PEN America, and Texas Freedom to Read Project are sounding the alarm: CENSORSHIP IS ON THE RISE" Large stylized "2025" at bottom of image.

ALA, @bookriot.bsky.social, @penamerica.bsky.social, @flfreedomread.bsky.social, @txfreedomread.bsky.social all track different aspects of the movement - no matter how you look at it, book bans are sweeping across the country. Don't miss our joint report: https://bit.ly/4qkTZh5

Every community deserves a great public library. Unfortunately, in many parts of America today, the local public library building falls short of what the community needs. Investments in library facilities should be proportionate to the central role they play in learning, connection and opportunity for so many people. Libraries are where Americans go for answers and support to do life - find a job, learn to parent, finish homework, start a business, get some peace and quiet.” ALA President Sam Helmick. Show up for our libraries, American Library Association.

New: ALA welcomes a pathbreaking study by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, which finds that thousands of public library facilities are in acute need of investment for repairs and upgrades.

Read more about the report, which ALA called to be developed: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...

ALA celebrates today's ruling in federal court in RI permanently blocking the Administration's actions to dismantle IMLS.

ALA Pres. Sam Helmick: "This victory belongs to all of us, and we build the future of our libraries together." Read our full statement & take action: www.ala.org/news/2025/11...

Opinion: Why I'm handing in my Pentagon press pass Tom Bowman has held his Pentagon press pass for 28 years. He says the Pentagon's new media policy makes it impossible to be a journalist, which means finding out what's really going on behind the scenes and not accepting wholesale what any government or administration says.

Soliciting information from officials is a journalist's job.

The Pentagon's new press policy would make reporters "stenographers parroting press releases, not watchdogs holding government officials accountable," explains NPR's Tom Bowman.

Video Report finds ‘disturbing’ normalization of banned books in U.S. ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos speaks with Jennifer Finley Boylan, president of PEN America, discusses a report that show there are more banned books than any living American has seen in their lifetime.

ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos speaks with @jennyboylan.bsky.social, president of PEN America, to discuss our new report showing there are more banned books than any living American has seen in their lifetime. abcnews.go.com/US/video/rep... #BannedBooksWeek

Opposition Filed Against DOJ Effort to Strike Context from Complaint About Qatar’s ‘Gifted’ Jet to Trump Administration - American Oversight As the DOJ refuses the prompt release of a memo clearing the Qatari jet ‘gift,’ Freedom of the Press Foundation, represented by American Oversight, argues against erasing this context and the agency’s continued delays.

Censoring the press isn't enough for the Trump administration. Now they're even trying to censor court records that discuss the press's reporting.

This is unheard of.

Journalist or not, photography isn’t a hate crime Gatekeeping over hate crime charges misses the forest for the trees

The hate crime charge against Alexa Wilkinson for photographing vandalism of the New York Times building is a dangerous precedent, no matter what you think of Wilkinson.

Quote card from FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern

Journalist Mario Guevara is being deported because the American government punishes reporters to protect its own power.

We should all be outraged.

freedom.press/issues/mario...

Recording police is ‘violence’? Absolutely not. Now the Trump administration is trying to destroy the right to document police by labeling it as an attack

It was bad enough when government officials claimed that journalists incite violence by reporting. But now, they’re accusing reporters of actually committing violence.

The supposed violence by reporters? Recording videos.

Trump Signs Order on Flag Burning: First Amendment Analysis Here’s everything you need to know about Trump’s executive order on flag burning and how it relates to the First Amendment.

Our friends at @1stforall.bsky.social have created a good explainer about what President Trump’s executive order on flag burning means. PEN America is concerned about the implications of this E.O. for artistic expression, as well as freedom of speech broadly. www.freedomforum.org/trump-flag-b...

Library receives donations to replace books church leaders targeted for LGBTQ+ themes In a matter of a few days, nearly $1,000 has been donated to the Shelby County Public Library to replace 16 LGBTQ+ books a local church had recommended to check out and never return. “The response to ...

“The response to the missing books has been overwhelming and mostly positive for the library. We will use the donated money to replace the books and buy more like them.”
www.newsfromthestates.com/article/libr...
📚💙 #UniteAgainstBookBans

"we need to focus on kitchen-table issues"

hey wtf are you talking about at your kitchen table, if not the military being deployed to your cities and your family members being kidnapped by ICE and the genocide in Gaza going on two years and states maneuvering to make elections less democratic and

AP freelancer among 5 journalists killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital, health officials say Among the victims was Mariam Dagga, a freelancer for the Associated Press. Al Jazeera confirmed that its journalist Mohammed Salam was also killed in the strike. Reuters reported that its contractor c...

Israel is killing journalists with impunity, and the U.S. supplies it with the weapons used to murder the truth.

Trump declared, “If you burn a flag, you get one year in jail — no early exits, no nothing.”
ground.news/article/trum...

Federal Judge Strikes Down Florida’s Book Ban Law Court rules Florida’s expanded “Don’t Say Gay” law is unconstitutionally vague, violating the First Amendment and censoring acclaimed books.

Florida's book ban law FINALLY deemed unconstitutional in a court of law.

www.metroweekly.com/2025/08/flor...

Video shows Department of Justice official urging Jan. 6 rioters to 'kill' cops The Department of Justice hired a former Jan. 6 defendant who was caught on tape urging rioters to "kill" police. The department calls him a "valued member" of the administration.

The Department of Justice hired a former Jan. 6 defendant who was caught on tape urging rioters to "kill" police. The department calls him a "valued member" of the administration.

As Israel's war on Gaza continues, Al Jazeera staff members, including correspondent Anas al-Sharif, were killed in a targeted strike on their media tent outside al-Shifa Hospital.

🔴 Follow our LIVE coverage: aje.io/qg87g7

Home Depot and Lowe's Share Data From Hundreds of AI Cameras With Cops Home improvement stores are finding ways to share data from their Flock license plate reader cameras with law enforcement, according to public records.

First, @eff.org filed a blockbuster FOIA request that uncovered how Home Depot and Lowe's are cooperating with cops.

Then, @404media.bsky.social made the story free thanks to their commitment to dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting.

Read the whole story below.

those claiming to want to ban books to “protect the children” have already demonstrated their desire to ban books universally. there’s really no reason to believe that Leavitt and the Trump administration are any more genuine when they give this excuse

Ousting of Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden Sends a Message: Comply or Be Fired - PEN America PEN America said today it is deeply disturbed by the firing of Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, for reasons the White House identified as related to “diversity” programming and her choices...

"The firing of Dr. Hayden is a Kremlineque move to suppress ideas and to send a chill through the leadership of cultural and educational institutions," said PEN America’s Hadar Harris. "The message seems obvious: Comply or be fired."

More: pen.org/press-releas...

Tell Congress to protect library funding. Show up for our libraries, American Library Association.

It's officially #TakeActionForLibraries Day!

To celebrate and advocate for libraries and library funding, we want every library lover to make their voice heard today.

Head to ala.org/showup to take action by calling or emailing Congress, writing a letter to your local newspaper, and more!

Library Advocates Rally as Trump Targets Federal Funding (Gift Article) An executive order has demanded that the Institute for Museum and Library Services be eliminated to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Museums and libraries are the main places where members of the public engage in lifelong learning outside of any formal school.
Call your legislators. Tell them to protect library funding. bit.ly/CallCongressForLibraries

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/a...

Is planting trees 'DEI'? Trump administration cuts nationwide tree-planting effort The Trump administration's efforts to end DEI programs is hitting some unexpected targets, including a nationwide effort planting shade trees in neighborhoods to reduce extreme heat.

The Trump administration's efforts to end DEI programs is hitting some unexpected targets, including a nationwide effort planting shade trees in neighborhoods to reduce extreme heat.

Journalist Safety Urgent Care Helpline - PEN America If you’re a U.S.-based journalist or news outlet concerned about safety or under attack for your work, you are not alone.

Since launching on Election Day, the Journalist Safety Urgent Care Helpline has helped 40+ newsrooms & 200+ journalists at risk. Facing violent threats, doxxing, & legal intimidation, US journalists and newsrooms are finding it harder to do their vital work. pen.org/journalist-s...