MI Right to Read

NEW: A federal book banning bill has been introduced in the Senate. It's time to make our voices heard and protect the freedom to read.

Tell your Senators to REJECT pro-censorship legislation like S. 4925 that would limit people's freedom to read. We need every advocate to speak out against censorship: action.ala.org/campaign/S4925

Explore best practices and policies for dealing with challenges in this free webinar from the Niche Academy on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 2:00 pm US Eastern, 11:00 am US Pacific. Register to attend: https://ow.ly/HVrG50ZlwRe

Emily Knox and Shannon M. Oltmann share preliminary findings from new research on book challenges, including best practices to implement in your library. Over the past two years, members of the Mapping Information Access research group, including Emily Knox, Shannon Oltmann, and Andy Zalot, have been interviewing public library directors to find out more about their experiences with book challenges.

Several new best practices for policies and guidelines have emerged from these interviews.

Join Emily Knox and Shannon M. Oltmann as they share preliminary findings from this research, including best practices to implement in your library.

Niche Academy

PEN America champions free speech on college campuses and provides resources to students and administrators to maximize both speech and inclusion. This summer, we are hosting a series of webinars for staff and administrators to build your toolbox for navigating tense moments on campus while upholding commitments to free speech and academic freedom. These webinars will be hosted by PEN America consultant Neijma Celestine-Donnor, who brings her distinctive blend of legal expertise and social work background to difficult questions about campus free speech.

In this session, Senior Program Manager for Free Expression and Higher Education, Aileen Favilla joins Neijma to untangle the tension between protecting free expression and responding to speech that causes harm on campus. With principles, a plan, and practice, campus leaders can balance commitments to both free speech and campus community.

(Quoted directly from PEN America)

Tuesday, July 21 at 2 PM ET
Register to attend:

Summer Office Hours: Where’s the Line Between Free Speech and Harm? This session will untangle the tension between protecting free expression and responding to speech that causes harm on campus.

New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte has vetoed HB 434, rejecting legislation that would have created a new statewide process for challenging school library and instructional materials. In her veto message, the governor noted that existing state law already gives parents a way to request alternative materials for their own children while preserving local decision-making and established review policies.

The decision highlights the ongoing national conversation about balancing parental rights, local control, and the freedom to read in schools.

Read the full article by EveryLibrary:
https://www.everylibrary.org/nh_governor_ayotte_vetoes_hb434

Governor Ayotte Vetoes HB 434, Affirming Local Control and Existing New Hampshire Law EveryLibrary welcomes Governor Kelly Ayotte's veto of HB 434, legislation that would have created an unnecessary and constitutionally questionable process for challenging school library books and other instructional materials from New Hampshire public schools.

News from around the nation:

A federal appeals court has struck down key portions of Florida's Stop WOKE Act affecting public colleges and universities, ruling that the law's restrictions on classroom instruction violate First Amendment protections. The decision affirms the importance of academic freedom and the ability of students and educators to engage with a broad range of ideas without government censorship.

For advocates of the freedom to read and learn, the ruling underscores the vital role of protecting intellectual freedom in educational institutions.

Read the full article by Jay Waagmeester, the Florida Phoenix:

Eleventh Circuit crushes Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’ at state universities • Florida Phoenix Instead of the state determining what will be taught in university classrooms, students must be free to hear and consider even officially disfavored ideas presented to them by professors, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. More than two years after oral arguments in a case challenging the 2022 l...

FY27 State Budget Includes Increased Investment in Michigan Libraries

The Michigan Legislature has approved the FY27 state budget, which includes $750,000 in additional one-time funding for Michigan libraries—$375,000 for State Aid to Libraries and $375,000 for the Michigan eLibrary (MeL)—while preserving the federal authorization needed to support statewide services like MeL and MeLCat. While the final budget doesn't fully meet MLA's funding requests, it represents meaningful progress during a challenging budget year.

Thank you to everyone who contacted legislators, participated in Advocacy Day, and shared the impact of your library—your advocacy helped strengthen support for libraries across Michigan. MLA will share a more detailed budget analysis after the Governor signs the bill.

View the budget omnibus bill passed out of the House and Senate (pdf).
https://ow.ly/S9MA50ZlwtH

Questions?
Contact [email protected]