Purpose
To uphold the value of intellectual freedom in Virginia's libraries by monitoring and reporting on intellectual freedom issues in the Commonwealth.
Committee Member Roster
Resources and Continuing Education
Intellectual Freedom Issues and General Resources
Privacy Issues
Banned Books
Fake News Info & Resources
Reporting Challenges
Has your library experienced a challenge or a reconsideration of your materials, displays, website content, or another intellectual freedom issue? Let the VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee know, and we can offer support, guidance, and resources for you and your library. If you aren’t sure what constitutes a reconsideration or a challenge, please report it and let us know anyway.
Contact: VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair, Brian Manning

The American Library Association collects statistics on challenges as well to monitor trends in intellectual freedom issues. If you have received a challenge at your library, please fill out their quick and easy challenge report (this can be submitted anonymously).
Virginia Intellectual Freedom In the News
Recent News
May 2022
- May 14, 2022: Discuss Books, Don’t Ban Them
- May 12, 2022: Virginia Schools Pull Books from Libraries
- May 11, 2022: Virginia Beach School Board to Remove ‘Gender Queer’ Novel Off Bookshelves
- May 7, 2022: Attorney General Miyares Argues that the Proposed Disinformation Governance Board will Hurt Americans’ Constitutional Freedom to Speak Freely, Debate, and Disagree with the Government
- May 7, 2022: 23 Va. School Districts Have Taken Books Off Shelves in Past Two Years
- May 5, 2022: 20 Republican-Led States Threaten Legal Action against DHS, Urge Disbanding of 'Un-American' Disinfo Board
- May 5, 2022: New School Principals Announced; School Library Books Called into Question
- May 4, 2022: Northern Virginia Students and Parents React to the Effort to Ban Books Deemed Sexually Explicit
- May 4, 2002: Henrico Parent Withdraws Request for Review of Youth Novel
- May 4, 2022: Woman Demands City Council Ban Award-Winning LGBTQ Book from Public Library – They Refused
- May 4, 2022: Reckoning with Beloved
- May 4, 2022: Does UVA Have a Self-Censorship Problem?
- May 4, 2022: WJCC School Board Reverses Decision to Nix History Textbooks
- May 3, 2022: How a Debut Graphic Memoir Became the Most Banned Book in the Country
- May 2, 2022: Novel Under Review by Henrico Schools Committee after Complaint of ‘Indoctrination,’ ‘Marxist’ Ideology
April 2022
- April 30, 2022: W-JCC School Board Let the Minority Win
- April 30, 2022: Study of American Government Requires Examination of Conflict
- April 29, 2022: Banning Books is a Crude Attempt to Roll Back Societal Gains
- April 28, 2022: Matney: 'Lawn Boy' Was Listed as Juvenile Book before Being Moved
- April 27, 2022: Public Libraries Are Heart of Democracy
- April 27, 2022: Inside The Debate Over Sexually Explicit Content In Virginia Schools
- April 25, 2022: Virginia Dad Goes Nuclear on Teachers' Union Boss
- April 25, 2022: Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Virginia School District’s Critical Race Theory Indoctrination
- April 22, 2022: Why the University of Virginia is Becoming a Battleground for Speech
- April 21, 2022: Gov. Youngkin Signs “Sexually Explicit Content” Bill Impacting Virginia Schools
- April 20, 2022: Commissioner of Revenue Takes Aim at Library Book
- April 20, 2022: IW School Board Splits on Removing ‘Partisan’ iPad Apps
- April 19, 2022: School Board Debates the Use of ‘Detrimental’ Book in New Middle School Class
- April 19, 2022: LGBTQ Community, People of Color in the Crosshairs of Banned Book Movement
- April 18, 2022: How ‘Drag StoryBook Hour’ Set Off Culture Wars at a Virginia Community Center
- April 10, 2022: Girls Lacrosse Team Ordered to Stop Wearing Prayer Shirts
- April 8, 2022: Debate Ensues over BHS Lacrosse Players' Call for Peace in Ukraine
- April 8, 2022: Virginia Bill Signed Requires Parent Notification of ‘Sexually Explicit Materials’
- April 8, 2022: Youngkin Signs Bill Regulating Explicit Content in Schools
- April 8, 2022: More than 1,500 Books Have Been Banned in Public Schools, and a U.S. House Panel Asks Why
- April 8, 2022: Youngkin signs bill regulating explicit content in schools
- April 7, 2022: Virginia Parent Speaks at Congress Against Banning of Books
- April 7, 2022: Residents Outraged Over Potential Book Banning in Warren County Public Schools
- April 7, 2022: Warren County School Board Hears Concerns about Book
- April 7, 2022: Mike Pence to Speak at the University of Virginia Causes Uproar
- April 7, 2022: UVA Faculty Bash Students Over Attempt to Ban Mike Pence from Campus
- April 7, 2022: 'Quiet Protest:' South Boston Event Celebrates Banned Book
- April 7, 2022: Free Speech Under Attack: Book Bans and Academic Censorship
- April 7, 2022: Library Read-In strikes blow for freedom of ideas
- April 6, 2022: Push to purge some books from schools highlights nation’s cultural schism
- April 6, 2022: Virginia Part of National Uptick in Attempts to Ban or Censor Books
- April 5, 2022: Books at center of Fairfax Co. controversy also caused nationwide stir
- April 5, 2022: Warren County Supervisor Says 'Inappropriate' Books Spark Parents' Concerns
- April 5, 2022: House Hearing on Book Bans Set for this Week
- April 1, 2022: Arlington Public Library Takes a Stand Against Banning Books in Schools
March 2022
- March 30, 2022: Shenandoah County Parents Invited to Review Textbooks as Book Challenges Remain Hot Button Issue
- March 30, 2022: Controversial Books Continue to be Topic of Public Comment at County School Board Meetings
- March 30, 2022: VMI Alumni Fight Back Against 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion' Plans
- March 30, 2022: Mike Pence Provokes Bipartisan Intolerance. He Deserves to be Heard.
- March 28, 2022: Can We Talk?
- March 28, 2022: University of Virginia Students Abandon Jefferson’s Legacy
- March 25, 2022: Controversial Books Return to Henrico School Libraries after Parent Protests
- March 24, 2022: EVMS Settles Lawsuit Over Single-Payer Healthcare Student Group
- March 19, 2022: Virginia Woman’s Website Helps Parents Assess Library Books
- March 17, 2022: Community Perspective: Democracy depends on the freedom to read
- March 17, 2022: ACLU Adopts Southern Poverty Law Center’s ‘Hate Group’ Label to Fight School’s ‘Resistance’ to LGBTQ Policy
- March 17, 2022: Virginia Passes Law that Critics Charge May Erase LGBTQ+ History
- March 17, 2022: Dangerous Rhetoric is Not Entitled to a Platform: Speech that Threatens the Lives of those on Grounds is Unjustifiable
- March 14, 2022: Silencing Happens — Just Not to Who You Think
- March 14, 2022: ACLU of Virginia Threatens Hanover School Board with Federal Lawsuit
- March 14, 2022: Bedford Shows How to Thwart Book Censors
- March 14, 2022: 'Sexually Graphic' Books Won't Be Removed from Bedford Co. Schools
- March 14, 2022: Rockingham County School Board Goes Over Curriculum Review Policy
- March 14, 2022: College Board Warns Against Censoring Its AP Courses
- March 14, 2022: Educators Rally Against 'Anti-Teacher' Actions by Gov. Youngkin
- March 13, 2022: Bedford County Schools Will Not Remove Challenged Books - Including Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' - from School Libraries
- March 12, 2022: Virginia Lawmakers Vote to Roll Back Open Records Reform
- March 11, 2022: VA School Superintendents Urge Youngkin to Terminate Tip Line
- March 10, 2022: Virginia Lawmakers Want to Keep Certain Police Records from the Public
- March 9, 2022: When Railing Against Cancel Culture Is About Railing Against Accountability
- March 9, 2022: What the New York Times’ College Cancel Culture Essay Gets Wrong About Censorship
- March 9, 2022: Hanover Students, Residents Speak Out on School Board Decision
- March 8, 2022: UVA Student's New York Times Editorial on Self-Censorship Sparks Debate on Social Media
- March 7, 2022: I Came to College Eager to Debate. I Found Self-Censorship Instead.
- March 7, 2022: Do Students Self-Censor? Here’s What the Data Tell Us
- March 7, 2022: ‘Woke-Panic Claptrap’: College Student’s NY Times Op-Ed Leads to Mockery Over ‘Self-Censorship’ Complaint
- March 7, 2022: Liberals Erupt at College Student's NYT Op-Ed about being Afraid to Speak out on Campus
- March 3, 2022: Substitute Teacher Suspended for Telling Students He Supports Putin's Logic
- March 2, 2022: Censorship Stirs Emotions, and Fuels Interest in Banned Books
- March 2, 2022: Virginia Substitute Teacher Suspended for Allegedly Pushing Russian Propaganda in Class
- March 2, 2022: Teacher Suspended After Parents Said He Taught ‘Russian Propaganda’ to Virginia Class
- March 1, 2022: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Expected to Sign Bill Regulating Explicit Content in Schools
- March 1, 2022: Va. House Passes Bill Regulating Explicit Content in School
February 2022
January 2022
- January 28, 2022: Questions Remain Over Youngkin’s New Tipline for ‘Divisive’ Practices in Virginia Schools
- January 27, 2022: Bill to Regulate Explicit Books in Virginia School Libraries Killed (ABC News)
- January 27, 2022: Bill to Regulate Explicit Books in School Libraries Killed (Washington Post)
- January 27, 2022: Senate Committee Rejects Bill Aimed at Explicit Materials in Schools
- January 27, 2022: Bills Targeting Explicit Content Reach Senate Committee
- January 25, 2022:Henrico Schools Pull Two Books for Review over Sexual Content Concerns
- January 20, 2022: Sparks Fly in Virginia Senate over Bill Notifying Parents of Sexually Explicit Materials
- January 20, 2022: Henrico Schools Pulls Another Book from Library
- January 18, 2022: Loudoun County Removes LGBTQ Book from School Libraries
- January 18, 2022: Virginia School District Bans Controversial LGBT Book from Libraries for Inappropriate Content
- January 18, 2022: Youngkin Defended his Plan to Rid Virginia’s Schools of Critical Race Theory
- January 16, 2022: Virginia School District to Remove Controversial Gender Book
- January 15, 2022: Loudoun County Schools Pull Controversial Gender Book from Library Shelves
- January 12, 2022: The Inevitable Problem of Self-Censorship
- January 11, 2022: Free Speech, Whole Foods, and the Endangered Apolitical Workplace
December 2021
- December 23, 2021: Parents Who ‘Got Nowhere’ After Speaking Up Sue Virginia School District Over CRT Curriculum
- December 20, 2021: Can Youngkin Really Ban Critical Race Theory in Virginia Schools?
- December 19, 2021: Author of 'Gender Queer,' One of Most-Banned Books in U.S., Addresses Controversy
- December 17, 2021: Glenn Youngkin's Promised 'Critical Race Theory' Ban has Virginia Teachers Worried
- December 13, 2021: Officials Address Local Push to Remove Books from Bedford County School Libraries
- December 10, 2021: VLA Executive Committee Statement on Censorship and the Freedom to Read
- December 9, 2021: Censorship of Books in Public Schools Needs to Stop
- December 9, 2021: Fairfax County Library Display Pairing Bible with Explicit Books Removed
- December 9, 2021: Here’s how Virginia Beach school board meetings became a battleground over six books
- December 8, 2021: Book Bans in VA, Across Nation Condemned by Authors, Publishers
- December 3, 2021: Virginia Public Library Directors Association Statement on Challenges to Virginians Freedom to Read
- December 2, 2021: Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office responds to book burning event promoted on Facebook
November 2021
- November 28, 2021: Drawing the Line Between Censorship and Age-Appropriateness
- November 25, 2021: US Libraries Report Spike in Organised Attempts to Ban Books in Schools
- November 25, 2021: Fairfax County Public Schools Reinstates Two Books Saying They Do Not Violate Rules Despite Parents Condemning Them as Pedophilic
- November 24, 2021: Virginia Cop Fired for Rittenhouse Support Demands his Job Back
- November 24, 2021: Virginia Schools Reinstates Pornographic Books as a Commitment to ‘Diverse Reading Materials’
- November 23, 2021: Virginia School System Returns Books It Pulled After Outcry
- November 23, 2021: LGBTQ+ Books Allowed To Return To Fairfax County High Schools
- November 23, 2021: Fairfax County Reinstates Controversial Library Books
- November 23, 2021: Fairfax County to return two sexually explicit books to school libraries
- November 23, 2021: Fairfax schools will return 2 books to shelves after reviewing complaints over content
- November 22, 2021: Community Perspective: Reconsidering Books: Protecting Students and Their Right to Read
- November 21, 2021: Diverse Societies Need Diverse Libraries: Letter to the Editor by Martha Hutzel, Free-Lance Star
- November 16, 2021: Spotsylvania community turns out against school library censorship
- November 16, 2021: Decision to pull graphic novel from school library now under review
- November 15, 2021: Letter to Spoystlvania Country School Board from the National Coalition Against Censorship
- November 15, 2021: ‘We’re Preparing For a Long Battle.’ Librarians Grapple With Conservatives’ Latest Efforts to Ban Books
- November 15, 2021: Librarians Warn Of Threat To Intellectual Freedom In VA Schools
- November 13, 2021: EDITORIAL: Freedom turns to ashes when books are burned
- November 13, 2021: Spotsylvania School Board will revisit removal of sexually explicit library books
- November 12, 2021: Book Challenges in Virginia
- November 10, 2021: Spotsylvania School Officials Ban "Explicit" Books Amid Calls to Burn Them
- November 9, 2021: Spotsylvania School Board Orders Libraries to Remove "Sexually Explicit" Books
- November 9, 2021: Book Banning and Censorship Locally, Explained
ALA’s Book Challenges in the News: https://wakelet.com/wake/N7RZLAuxLEHqE1SRF_Wsl (The American Library Association (ALA) is fighting for the freedom to read! Leadership from the association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is quoted in more than 139 news articles from Oct. 3 - Nov. 11, 2021, including coverage from print, radio, and TV news outlets.)
October 2021
- October 31, 2021: The Woman who Wanted Beloved Banned from Schools is Right About One Thing
- October 29, 2021: Henrico Schools Removes Novel "Out of Darkness" as Gubernatorial Candidates Spar on Book Censorship
- October 29, 2021: Schools Are Banning my Book. But Queer Kids Need Queer Stories
- October 29, 2021: Virginia Governor Race Highlights Irony of Banning "Beloved" from Schools
- October 28, 2021: Book Removed from Henrico Schools as Governor’s Race Centers Book-Banning
- October 28, 2021: Banning Toni Morrison’s Books Doesn’t Protect Kids. It Just Sanitizes Racism
- October 27, 2021: G.O.P. Attack Involving Toni Morrison Novel Inflames Virginia Contest
- October 27, 2021: “Critical Race Theory” is the New Satanic Panic in Right-Wing Politics
- October 27, 2021: There is a Consistency to the Debate over Book Censorship: Distress about Change
- October 27, 2021: Virginia Beach Students, Author Defend Challenged Books at School Board Meeting
- October 26, 2021: Virginia University Orders College Republicans to Stop Promoting Glenn Youngkin Campaign Materials
- October 26, 2021: Fight Over Teaching ‘Beloved’ Book in Schools becomes Hot Topic in Virginia Governor’s Race
- October 26, 2021: Glenn Younkin Assures Virginia Voters He’ll Protect Them from Toni Morrison Books
- October 26, 2021: McAuliffe Labels Youngkin Flag of Explicit Book ‘Racist Dog Whistle’
- October 26, 2021: Glenn Youngkin’s Closing Message: Ban Toni Morrison from Schools: Virginia Republican wants the Angriest Parents to have a Veto on School Curriculum
- October 26, 2021: Debate Over School Curriculum Becomes Flash Point in Virginia Governor's Race
- October 26, 2021: As Election Approaches, LGBT Voters Look for Support, Youngkin Campaign Ad Under Fire from Democrats
- October 25, 2021: Youngkin Ad Features Mother Who Pushed to Have "Beloved" banned from Son's Curriculum
- October 22, 2021: Media Doesn’t Name Book Pulled from School; White Kids “Robbed of Innocence”: Book Challenges and Censorship this Week
- October 21, 2021: Toni Morrison Book Among Those Removed from Virginia Beach Schools
- October 21, 2021: How the Extreme Right is Weaponizing Bigotry to Campaign in Virginia
- October 20, 2021: Washington & Lee University Censors Student Political Activity Ahead of Virginia Gubernatorial Election
- October 12, 2021: Inappropriate Book Pulled from New Kent Middle School Library Circulation
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
- May 31, 2021: Conservative Organization Representing Teacher Sues Loudoun County Schools Over Suspension
- May 14, 2021: Virginia Moms Condemn School District for Assigning Pornographic Readings to 9th Graders
- May 14, 2021: Virginia Parents Blast School Board Over Graphic Books, Critical Race Theory
- May 13, 2021: Loudon School Critics Target 'Dirty' Books as Recall Petitions Circulate
- May 13, 2021: Virginia Parents Torch Loudoun County School Board Over Critical Race Theory, 'Pornographic' Books in School
- May 12, 2021: Parents in Wealthy, VA Town Take Out Ad Attacking Critical Race Theory at School
- May 2, 2021: Virginia Tech Sued For Allegedly Violating Students’ First Amendment Rights with Policies
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
Past News Archive
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