Library Books are on the Agenda (Again)

Montgomery County Commissioner's Court: Tuesday, October 8

Guest Post By Teresa Kenney

The Montgomery County Commissioners’ Court is meeting on the morning of Tuesday, October 8 and on the agenda is a request to revisit the Library Reconsideration Materials Policy. We will once again be in attendance to speak out against the policy—which gives the power of book censorship to five commissioner-court-appointed citizens without librarian oversight or the opportunity for citizen discussion.

If you are able to attend to speak out or show support, we welcome your participation. The court meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Alan B. Sadler Commissioners Court Building, 501 North Thompson, 4th Floor, Suite 402 in Conroe.

If you would like to speak, the agenda item you will be speaking to is item 15. A. 2.: “Consider and discuss and take action on the Montgomery County Reconsideration Committee Bylaws and any other committees, by-laws, policies and/or procedures for the Montgomery County Memorial Library System drafted by Judge Mark Keough or his staff.”

As a reminder, here are a few of the problematic items in this policy:

  • The approved policy notes that a resident who submits a request for reconsideration of library materials form, “shall not be required to provide proof of residency.” So potentially someone from out of the county, out of the state, or even out of the country, could submit a request as there is no requirement to provide proof of residency.
  • The approved policy goes beyond restricting or removing children’s and young adult books, to include parenting books. So, if a parent would like to check out a book on how to discuss sex with their teenager, any books offering guidance could potentially have been banned from the library shelves based on one nonresident’s complaint and at the discretion of the Citizen Review Committee. The same could be said of books that address fighting racism or advocating for an LGBTQ child.
  • The approved policy requires a book to be restricted from the shelves as soon as a complaint is made. So if one person objects to a Dr. Seuss picture book or a book on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., those books would be restricted immediately. A tsunami of complaints from an individual could deplete the parenting, children’s, and young adult shelves of books based on one person’s biases alone.
  • The committee may, at its discretion, invite the complainant to the reconsideration meeting to discuss their reasons for wanting the book censored, but the public is not allowed to voice their concerns about the requested censoring of the book.

If you are unable to attend, we encourage you to reach out to your commissioner, telling him you oppose the policy as it is written and was approved: 

[email protected] (Robert Walker)

[email protected] (Charlie Riley precinct 2)

[email protected] (James Noack precinct 3)

[email protected] (Matt Gray)

[email protected] (Judge Keough)

 

More on Montgomery County Public Library 

Petition circulated in March of 2024 that garnered over 1400 signatures in opposition to proposed changes to Montgomery County Public Library Changes

Blog post about the changes as proposed in March 2024: Montgomery County Commissioners Court to Vote on Removal of Librarians From Reconsideration Committees

Montgomery Public Library In the News:

Texas Tribune Montgomery County directs citizen board to review, and potentially remove, library books

Lonestar Live Texas county removes librarians from certain book review processes

 


About the Author

Teresa Kenney is owner of Village Books, a community-minded independent bookshop located in The Woodlands, Texas. Prior to opening the bookshop in 2021, she was a freelance writer and contract editor for magazines and clients across the country. You can connect with Teresa through Village Books socials on Instagram & Facebook


 

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