Pages tagged "texas"
A Children’s Book, a Packed Library, and a Community Standing for the Right to Read
{Guest Post by Miranda Williamson} What began as a petition to remove a single trans-affirming children’s book became a town debacle as over 100 people packed into the Salado Library. Parking was full and spilling into the nearby grocery store and gas station lots. Outside, protesters with Indivisible Centex held signs proudly displaying slogans like “Your beliefs don’t control my reading,” and urged attendees to “Choose knowledge over fear.”
Read MoreTexas Freedom to Read Project Responds to Supreme Court’s Denial in Little v. Llano
Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to take up Little v. Llano County, allowing the en-banc decision of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to stand. We at Texas Freedom to Read Project are disappointed and gravely concerned about what this means not only for Texans, Mississippians, and Louisianans (those in the Fifth Circuit), but for the future of libraries and the freedom to read across this country.
Read MorePress Release: Texas Freedom to Read Project Responds to Supreme Court’s Denial of Review in Little v. Llano County
The Texas Freedom to Read Project (TXFTRP) is expressing deep concern after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Little v. Llano County, allowing the Fifth Circuit’s ruling to stand, a decision that significantly weakens First Amendment protections for public-library patrons across America, but especially across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The Fifth Circuit held that patrons no longer have the constitutional right to receive information and ideas in the form of library books and the concurring opinion went as far as to embrace the unfounded concept that libraries’ decisions about which books to remove are “government speech.” TXFTRP warns that this logic opens the door for local officials to purge books based on ideology rather than legitimate collection-development practices and turn public libraires into government propaganda centers.
“This decision effectively tells government officials they can remove books simply because they don’t like the ideas in them,” said Laney Hawes, co-founder of TXFTRP. “That is the opposite of what public libraries are meant to be.”
Contrary to claims that the case centered on “sexually explicit” materials, the 17 books removed from Llano County libraries included titles about racism, LGBTQ+ identity, civil rights, and American history, alongside several humorous children’s books. None were obscene.
“When you look at the actual list of books, it’s clear, this isn’t about protecting kids, it’s about controlling the flow of ideas.”said Frank Strong, co-founder. “It is about removing viewpoints some officials find uncomfortable.”
The dissenting judges in the Fifth Circuit underscored this point, warning that the majority’s ruling overturns decades of First Amendment precedent and ignores the political motivations behind the book removals.
“If this ruling stands unchallenged, any group with enough influence can pressure officials to pull books they disagree with,” said Anne Russey, co-founder. “That threatens the intellectual freedom of everyone in America and could be the end of libraries as we know them.”
TXFTRP is calling on communities nationwide to stay engaged and defend their libraries. “We need more Americans willing to show up, join library boards, run for school board, attend council meetings,” Hawes added. “The freedom to read and the future of American libraries depends on ordinary people refusing to let censorship become the norm.”
You can read TXFTRP’s full statement here.
Texas Librarian Testimony: Losing Sleep Over Senate Bill 13
(This is a guest post written by librarian, Kalyn Gensic. This post was originally written and shared by Kalyn on her personal Facebook page, and is shared with permission, here.)
It is three o’clock in the morning, and I can’t sleep because my mind is replaying the no good, horrible, very bad week I had at work. It wasn’t bad because of the students (they were funny and inquisitive and were happy to talk about all the books with me). It wasn’t my co-workers (Cooper has the best staff - bar none). It wasn’t my district (still proud to be part of AISD). It was because this week, a law made over the summer in the Texas Senate had real, tangible effects on my day-to-day job. My guess is most people don’t know about SB 13, but I think it is something Texans need to be aware of, so I’m going to tell you about it.
Read MoreWhat Texas School Districts and Trustees Need to Know: SB 13, EFB Policies, & SLACs
The 89th Session of the Texas Legislature was a tough one for those who care about the freedom to read. Texas Freedom to Read Project spent countless hours working alongside legislators, staffers, and incredible advocacy groups to stand up for students, libraries, public schools, and the fundamental right to access information. There were some important wins, but also some deeply frustrating losses.
One of the most disheartening aspects of this session was seeing how many bills, especially those impacting libraries and the freedom to read, were driven more by political theater and special interests than by the real needs of Texans. They were written to score points in a culture war, often at the expense of public schools and libraries. This is particularly frustrating when so many Texas families are facing real, urgent challenges.
Among the most concerning pieces of legislation to pass this year is Senate Bill 13, which imposes new onerous and impractical regulations on school libraries. We warned our community about it during the session here and here. Unfortunately the bill takes effect September 1.
Read MoreTexas Parents: We Need Your Help
Email your school board trustees, or sign up to speak at your next school board meeting and tell them:
Read MorePlease adopt the Library Materials EFB Local policy update- that does NOT establish a school library advisory council (SLAC).
Stories from Deep in the Heart of Texas: Nacogdoches ISD
The Daily Sentinel reported on May 8, 2025 that the district placed over 100 high school library books behind a "parent opt-in" restricted section of the library, after being contacted by a political activist and known book banning bully. Book banners have been sending intimidating emails containing hundreds of book titles they falsely claim are "illegal under HB 900" to school districts for the past year.
Read MoreSenate Bill 13: Another Step Towards Censorship, Not Solutions
Something no representative on either side of the political aisle seems to understand about Senate Bill 13 is that it’s not “House Bill 900 is not working” as the book banners like to claim. It’s that the 40 or so book banners who are driving their movement for the whole state refuse to take “no” for an answer.
Read MoreProtect Texas Public Libraries, Stop SB 2101
Senate Bill 2101, will be heard in the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee at 9am on Monday, April 28, 2025. Like its identical companion bill, House Bill 3225, Senate Bill 2101 is what Texas Freedom to Read Project cofounder, Frank Strong, describes as "a screaming red alarm for people who care about books, about the freedom to read, or about libraries."
Read MoreTwo Texas Book Bills You Can Act On Today!
The 89th Texas Legislative Session is in full swing. We're seeing some movement on several bills that would have significant negative impacts on public school and municipal libraries, booksellers, librarians and educators. Texans continue to face unprecedented threats to our freedom to read, but we are also seeing strong opposition to lots of the bad bills being debated and considered. We have no idea what bills will make it over the finish line and become law, but we know we are proud of the response we have seen our fellow Texans raise so far. Let's look at some of the bills we are tracking, and identify some steps you can take today to continue fighting against book bans and censorship in Texas, today!
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