All the Award Nominees, Plus More News For Library Workers
Catch up with the latest in publishing news, in upcoming book releases, and a whole host of excellent book lists.
[a library check out desk]
All the Award Nominees, Plus More News For Library Workers
Catch up with the latest in publishing news, in upcoming book releases, and a whole host of excellent book lists.
Katie McLain Horner
Feb 27, 2026
Katie McLain Horner
Contributing Editor
Katie's parents never told her "no" when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she's not at work, she's at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves.
Twitter: @kt_librarylady
View All posts by Katie McLain Horner
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We’ve got a big round up of library news and links to take you through to the next month: publishing news (which is the same as saying “AI updates” nowadays), censorship updates, stats and trends, award nominees, and more.
Let’s dive in.
Publishing News
- More eBooks and digital audiobooks are featuring interactive AI features.
- An author discovered deepfake videos of himself on YouTube reading chapters of a book published by John Murray Business.
- The Human Artistry Campaign is launching an anti-AI campaignbacked by big name celebrities and authors, including Jodi Picoult, Roxane Gay, and Jonathan Franzen.
New & Upcoming Titles
- Jeffrey Archer has announced that his next book, Adam and Eve, will also be his last.
- The Millions has posted their Great Winter 2026 preview.
- 24 new and upcoming historical novels to look forward to in 2026.
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Censorship Updates
- The latest trends in comic censorship.
- We Need Diverse Books launches the Unbanned Book Network to fight book bans in schools.
- Plato has been censored as Texas A&M carries out its course review.They have also instructed English faculty not to teach books with major plot lines involving gay, lesbian, or transgender identities.
- Alamo Heights ISD (TX) canceled a visit by children’s author Chris Barton because his nonfiction book about the history of glitter had the audacity to include a sentence that mentioned the existence of LGBTQ+ people. (I wish I were kidding.)
- Bellbrook-Sugarcreek School District (OH) implemented a policy this year that prohibits so-called “sexuality content” and “gender ideology” from students in kindergarten through grade eight under the guise of “parental rights.”
- Iowa’s law restricting school library books and LGBTQ topics returns to federal court.
- Utah begins 2026 by banning three more books at all public schools across the state. Just weeks later, the state banned yet another one.
- Some Alberta school divisions have removed a handful of titles from library shelves as new school library rules take effect, but they’re not saying which books have been removed.
Numbers & Trends
- Professors warn that Gen Z’s reading struggles could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates.
- The number of Americans 13 and older who listen to audiobooks has more than doubled since 2016.
Award News
- The Philip K. Dick Award nominees have been announced.
- Donna Andrews and Lee Child have been announced as the latest Grand Masters for Mystery Writers of America.
- The National Book Critics Circle Award finalists have been announced.
- The Edgar Award nominees have been announced.
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