The Orem Public Library is not currently being run in accordance with state law, which has allowed for ongoing political interference by the City Council with library operations, including the censoring of displays. To come into compliance with state law, and help protect citizens of Orem from future political meddling in library affairs, four actions are needed immediately: (1) The City Council Must Recognize the Library Advisory Committee as an independent Library Board of Directors per Utah Code 9-7-402: "When the city governing body decides to establish and maintain a city public library under the provisions of this part, it shall appoint a library board of directors of not less than five members and not more than nine members, chosen from the citizens of the city and based upon their fitness for the office." (2) The Library Board must take responsibility for policy-making per Utah Code: 9-7-404: "The library board shall: (a) maintain and care for the library; (b) establish policies for its operation; and (c) in general, carry out the spirit and intent of the provisions of this part." (3) The City Council must create an independent Library Fund in the budget per Utah Code: 9-7-404: "All tax money received for the library shall be deposited in the city treasury to the credit of the library fund." (4) The Library Board must appoint a Director of the Library per Utah Code: 9-7-407: "The library board of directors shall appoint a competent person as librarian to have immediate charge of the library with those duties and compensation for services that it determines. The librarian shall act as the executive officer for the library board." We call on the City Council and the Library Commission to come into full compliance with state laws and make public statements committing to refrain from future interference with the library.

HO314 calls for civil penalties of $2,500 in addition to injunctive relief by a prosecuting attorney if a school or public library provides materials that are "harmful to minors." While Idaho libraries do not provide materials that are harmful to minors, the simple threat of expensive lawsuits is likely to have a damaging chilling effect, restricting Idahoans' liberty to access information, self-direct, and read and think freely for themselves. HO314 is another misguided attempt by the state to limit Idahoans First Amendment freedoms. This bill will particularly impact small, rural libraries and taxpayers, which will have to choose whether providing materials that support their communities is even possible under the threat of expensive and time-consuming lawsuits. If local libraries that are forced by unneeded state regulations to defend against private claims of harm, they will not be able to continue to serve the needs of local Idahoans. This bill is government overreach, a violation of parents' rights, and an attack on the ability of libraries to provide access to information for all Idahoans, regardless of their values or beliefs.

If school boards and the state government limit what we can read, you won’t be able to read the books you want to read. You deserve access to information to be ready for college, jobs in the real world, and to be safe and healthy. Everyone deserves the right to choose books for themselves and their families without government interference. It’s never been more clear or more needed. We’ve got to stand up to censorship.

I want my fellow Utahns to know that I recognize and appreciate the contributions of our libraries. I know that: My community is a better place to live, is more fun and interesting, and is more successful because of our library. Libraries are free and open for all and provide a wide range of information, supporting a more educated and informed community. Libraries have books that reflect all perspectives; they transcend partisan political parties and politics. https://youtu.be/A4a-TuLFAO0 Libraries are centers of free expression, discovery, learning, self-direction, and artistic creation. Libraries support and nurture arts and culture in our communities, providing gallery space, performance space, and maker/creative spaces for all ages and interests. Libraries support business development and entrepreneurs, fostering prosperity, and strengthening our local and national economy. Libraries cultivate and preserve our local history and stories, helping us make connections between our past and present, and inspiring us to see the future we can create together. For these reasons I am proud to sign up and add my name to the list of Utahns who support strong, well-funded libraries across the state.

The First Amendment is FIRST for a reason. It secures a number of our inalienable and Constitutional rights including our rights to free speech and assembly, which are essential to democracy. But we are now seeing extremist factions who seek to eradicate and erode these rights, replacing our shared American values as they are enshrined in the Constitution, with their own personal religious values. The attack on these rights have left libraries and the people that they serve -- especially rural Oklahomans -- especially vulnerable. Our democracy is in danger as extremist groups seek to diminish all rights for anyone who does not adhere to their religious doctrines. Book banning is just the tip of the iceberg. If we allow these attacks on the First Amendment to succeed, the security of al of our rights, and of our democracy, are in danger. Join our growing network of First Amendment supporters in Oklahoma as we stand up and speak up in defense of our First Amendment right to share and receive information.

A number of states are introducing proposed laws that would allow for civil and criminal prosecution of librarians if a community member disliked the content of a book on the shelf. However, award-winning authors like Margaret Atwood, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce have been caught in the crosshairs of ‘obscenity’ challenges. Groups like Moms for Liberty have gone after books about Seahorses for being obscene as well as books about Johnny Appleseed and Hurricanes. Even Winnie the Pooh was called into question for not wearing pants. That means librarians could go to jail over Winnie-The-Pooh. We can't let legislation like this stand!

The decision of which books our children read should be left to parents/caregivers and not a government appointed committee. This committee should not be the gatekeeper of what our children read. We urge you to take action and speak out against this unnecessary ordinance. Stand with us in support of parental/caregiver rights and prevent the Community Standards Review Committee from infringing upon our first amendment right.

HB 139 calls for civil penalties of $10,000 in addition to other damages and fees if a school or public library provides materials that are "harmful to minors." While Idaho libraries do not provide materials that are harmful to minors, the simple threat of expensive lawsuits is likely to have a damaging chilling effect, restricting Idahoans' liberty to access information, self-direct, and read and think freely for themselves. HO 139 is another misguided attempt by the state to limit Idahoans First Amendment freedoms. This bill will particularly impact small, rural libraries and taxpayers, which will have to choose whether providing materials that support their communities is even possible under the threat of expensive and time-consuming lawsuits. If local libraries that are forced by unneeded state regulations to defend against private claims of harm, they will not be able to continue to serve the needs of local Idahoans. This bill is government overreach, a violation of parents' rights, and an attack on the ability of libraries to provide access to information for all Idahoans, regardless of their values or beliefs. (If you live outside of Idaho, please sign this national petition: https://action.everylibrary.org/bookbans)

There are a handful of people in our county who are more than willing to limit all Clay County students to the books, ideas, and teachings THEY approve. They opened the door for this flood of book bans by loudly decrying a few books that contain sexual situations. But now that the door is wedged open, it's not enough to ban books that mention sex... they also want to ban books with black and brown faces on the cover. Books that recognize that LGBTQ+ people exist. Books that encourage readers to treat others equally, regardless of their differences. Books that acknowledge that we have differences, and THAT IS OK. Where has this censorship gotten us? National and international news- Clay County, Florida has become a punchline. The right to read is one of our first amendment rights as Americans, and it’s important that our students have that right as well. Books offer us a variety of perspectives, allowing us to put ourselves in other people's shoes. Help us stand up and tell the school board and district leadership that we trust our educators (teachers and media specialists), that we want our students to have access to diverse library materials, and that we don't want this loud minority making decisions for the rest of us.

We are all concerned with creating positive, safe, and welcoming environments for our children. But going after public libraries and schools means that this isn't about kids. It's about a small group of people controlling what all North Dakotas are able to read or see. Only 8% of voters in the US think that there are "many books that are inappropriate and should be banned". It is a small group of people pushing for these kinds of bills and book bans around the country. They talk about books about sex and sexuality, but award-winning authors like Margaret Atwood, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or even James Joyce could be caught in the crosshairs of ‘obscenity’ challenges too. Even Winnie the Pooh was called into question for not wearing pants. Our local library and school boards are accountable to the communities they serve, and those are the right venues to address book challenges, not a top-down obscenity law from the legislature. We can’t let a bill like HB1205 expose every school, library,and the public servants who work in them, to criminal prosecution to satisfy a few crusaders. It's not a reasonable thing to make criminals out of our librarians and educators. Please join the citizens of North Dakota in opposing HB1205 now. The bill is being heard in the House Judiciary Committee. Please take a moment and tell your Representative in the North Dakota House to help stop this bill before it goes any further. Use the form on this page to send your message today.

Members of the “Citizens Defending Education” group in Glen Ridge are attempting to ban the following six books from the Glen Ridge Public Library: 1. All Boys Aren't Blue - George M. Johnson 2. Here and Queer - Rowan Ellis 3. This Book is Gay - Juno Dawson 4. It's Not the Stork - Robie H. Harris 5. It's Perfectly Normal - Robie H. Harris 6. You Know, Sex - Cory Silverberg The Library Director has confirmed that each of the above books meets the Library Materials Selection Policy. These books all contain content related to the LGBTQ+ community and it is clear that the CDE group is targeting this group here in Glen Ridge. Please sign the petition and come to the February 8th, 2023 Library Board of Trustees Meeting to voice your opposition to this proposed ban. During this meeting, the CDE’s appeal of the Library Director's decision to reject the ban will be discussed and voted on. The meeting will be held in the auditorium of Ridgewood Avenue School at 7:30 PM.

In 2022, the Alpine School District in Utah pulled 52 books from their library shelves, and ultimately banned 22 books for “pornographic or indecent” material. A large percentage of the banned books were written by LGBTQ+ authors, or dealt with issues of sexuality, gender, and race. Censoring what students can read takes away their freedom of expression, and limits their ability to think for themselves. We need to let the school board know that we trust librarians and teachers to choose material that is appropriate for all students. Sign the petition to let the school board know that you oppose government censorship and support the freedom to read!