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: Free Expression Group Sues Escambia County School District Over Book Bans

Escambia County School District in Florida has recently come under legal scrutiny after several books were banned from its educational establishments. 

The book bans, led by Northview High School language arts teacher Vicki Baggett, began in 2022 and included diverse literature, from picture books and young adult novels to nonfiction pieces. The bans have been criticized for disproportionately targeting books about race and LGBTQ+ identities written by non-white and LGBTQ+ authors. 

PEN America, an organization devoted to free expression, is leading a lawsuit against Escambia County School District and School Board. They are joined by several authors, parents, and Penguin Random House, the country's largest book publisher, asserting that the district's book bans violate the First Amendment and the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. 

The suit, filed in federal court on May 17, 2023, criticizes the board for dismissing recommendations from the district review committee that assessed book challenges. The lawsuit alleges that the school district is more interested in censoring specific ideas and viewpoints than focusing on pedagogy. Among the authors whose books have been removed or restricted are Sarah Brannen, David Levithan, George M. Johnson, Dr. Ashley Hope Pérez, and Kyle Lukoff. 

The lawsuit demands that the affected books be returned to school library shelves. 

Dr. Ashley Hope Pérez, one of the authors suing the district, argues that banning her book, which discusses sexual assault, is a disservice to students. Pérez asserts that the ban removes a crucial resource that could help young people navigate and discuss complex topics, such as sexual assault, within their communities.

Pérez also points out that these changes will likely have the most significant impact on students with the fewest resources, those who depend on school libraries for access to information. PEN America reports that since 2021, 306 educational gag order bills have been introduced across 45 U.S. states, 22 of which have become law in 16 states. In addition, the American Library Association has noted that efforts to ban books nearly double in 2022, with 1,269 attempts to ban books and resources in libraries and schools. Citation: Kyaw, A. (2023, May 19). 

Free Expression Group Sues Florida School District Over Book Bans. Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.diverseeducation.com/campus-climate/article/15448066/free-expression-group-sues-florida-school-district-over-book-bans

Improving Technology Training (WSL webinar)

• The webinar titled "Improving Technology Training" is sponsored by the Washington State Library and presented by Stephanie Gerding.
• The webinar includes a training coordinator, Jennifer Fenton, and a technician named Joe to assist participants.
• Participants are encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback, and engage in interactive learning through chat.
• The importance of evaluating training in libraries is discussed, including reasons such as improving training quality, identifying weaknesses, and demonstrating value.
• The speaker highlights the need to measure the impact, cost, and effectiveness of technology training and collect stories and feedback from participants.

The Washington State Library conducted a webinar on improving technology training, presented by Stephanie Gerding. The focus was evaluating the library technology training and empowering staff and volunteers to strengthen it. The session also discussed difficult library training situations that can help improve training. The training cycle was discussed, including planning, needs assessment, workshop learning, and evaluation. The session emphasized the need for planning and evaluating to save time in the long run and utilize resources effectively. The goal is to ensure that the training program meets the community's needs. Different learning styles were highlighted, and practical technology training was discussed, including training for public staff and answering reference desk questions.

Improving Technology Training (WSL webinar)

• The webinar is titled "Improving Technology Training" and is sponsored by the Washington State Library.
• The presenter is Stephanie Gerding, and the training coordinator, Jennifer Fenton, and the technician, Joe, are also mentioned.
• Participants are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback through the chat feature.
• The importance of evaluating training at libraries is discussed, including reasons such as becoming a better trainer, identifying weaknesses, and demonstrating value.
• Outcome-based evaluation and different levels of measurement, such as reaction and learning, are mentioned as important aspects of evaluating training.
• Share Prompt

The Washington State Library recently hosted a webinar on enhancing technology training featuring a presentation by Stephanie Gerding. The webinar evaluated library technology training and empowered staff and volunteers to strengthen it. The session also delved into challenging library training situations that can aid in improving training. The training cycle was thoroughly discussed, encompassing planning, needs assessment, workshop learning, and evaluation. The session emphasized the importance of planning and evaluating to save time in the long run and utilize resources effectively, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the training program meets the community's needs. The webinar highlighted different learning styles and practical technical training, including staff training, the public, and answering reference desk questions.

Technology Training Best Practices (WSL webinar)

• The webinar is about technology training best practices, facilitated by Stephanie Gerding from the Washington State Library.
• Participants from different states, including Washington, Nebraska, Marilyn, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, and New York, are present.
• The webinar is part of a series on external technology training, and some participants have attended all three webinars.
• The facilitator introduces a game where participants answer questions whenever a specific icon appears on the slide.
• The webinar covers topics such as using handouts, creating PowerPoint presentations, and engaging participants through interactive activities.

Planning and Promoting Technology Training (WSL webinar)

• The webinar is titled "Planning and Promoting Technology Training (WSL webinar)" and is hosted on YouTube.
• The trainer for the webinar is Stephanie Gerding, an independent library consultant based in Seattle, Washington.
• The webinar is part of a series for the accidental technology trainer, and this is the second of four webinars.
• The training objectives include organizing, designing, and planning technology training, using a lesson plan template, creating learning objectives, and promoting technology training.
• Participants in the webinar come from various states, including Washington, Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, and Maryland.

Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Rhode Island: The Debate Surrounding Censorship