A Message to the Spanish Fort Library Board: At your most recent April 21st meeting, you discussed your intent to implement policy changes that would censor books that are vital to the Spanish Fort community. This proposed unconstitutional policy would restrict materials for minors involving “sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual ethics,” including even materials for teens that cover the topic of sexual assault.  In your discussion, the board made clear that they believe moving these materials to age-restricted sections of the library does not constitute censorship; the courts have proven this is incorrect. • PEN America v. Escambia County School Board (Florida, 2024): In this ongoing case, U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II ruled that the First Amendment prohibits the school board from restricting over 160 titles based on LGBTQ and racial themes.  • Board of Education v. Pico (U.S. Supreme Court, 1982): This landmark case established that school boards cannot restrict books simply because they disagree with the ideas contained within them. The Supreme Court ruled that such access violates First Amendment rights to access information and ideas.  • Counts v. Cedarville School District (Arkansas, 2003): In this case, a federal judge ruled that restricting access to “Harry Potter” by requiring parental permission was unconstitutional due to the restriction being based on objections to the books themes (witchcraft and the occult) rather than legitimate educational concerns, violating the First Amendment. • Read Freely Alabama v. Autauga-Prattville Public Library Board of Trustees (Alabama, 2024): In this ongoing case, Read Freely Alabama, The Alabama Library Association and local patrons filed a federal lawsuit in the Middle District of Alabama, the plaintiffs argue that the library’s policies violate the First Amendment by restricting access to constitutionally protected materials based on content and viewpoint, and are unconstitutionally vague, infringing on the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause, leading to arbitrary enforcement. The plaintiffs contend that the policies disproportionately infringe on LGBTQ content and other materials.  For all of these reasons, we urge you to reconsider this policy change and uphold the constitutional rights of all Spanish Fort residents, as those rights are not subject to compromise. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE IF YOU AGREE!  Sign this petition to send a message to the Spanish Fort (AL) Library Board and tell them to stop these unconstitutional policy changes that harm marginalized children and their families!

Following a national extremist anti-library playbook the BOS has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to eliminate our Library and replace it with a privatized library that they can control. The BOS knows that the County doesn't own the assets of Samuels Public Library (books, computers, equipment), and that starting a new, privatized library from scratch will cost millions of dollars. This is a reckless plan, that will waste taxpayer dollars. In an attempt to control the library, and the freedom of Warren County residents to make their own decisions for themselves and their families, the BOS continues to smear library management and staff, and appointed people to the Warren County Library Board who answer only to the BOS, not to the community. We must protect the integrity of Samuels Public Library and its structure that has honorably and effectively served our community for over 200 years.     Let Your Voice Be Heard By Signing The Petition! Tell the Warren County Board of Supervisors to STOP ATTACKING OUR LIBRARY!  WITHDRAW the RFP and Fully Fund Samuels Public Library! PS: Let Your Voice Be Heard!  Your Dollars Matter!  Please consider Donating! A Tax Deductible Donation can be made through:  https://www.fundlibraries.org/campaign/245/samuels-under-siege-fight-back-now Literary Defense Network

In February 2024, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) passed Resolution 24-12. Through this resolution, the Commissioners took power away from the Library Board of Trustees and gave themselves sole power to select library trustees who align with their extreme views and support of censorship. This resolution was passed with no notice or opportunity for public input. Protect Our GarCo Libraries, a group of concerned community members, is working to maintain the integrity of our libraries, ensure that they are governed in a nonpartisan manner, and prevent book banning.  We call on the Library Board of Trustees and the BOCC to protect and preserve the nonpartisan values of our public library, and ensure that everyone has access to a range of materials that meet the wide variety of interests and needs of Garfield County residents. Please sign and share this petition if you agree.

Books that have been in our libraries for generations are being targeted, for seemingly no reason or at least no legal reason. The Georgetown Independent School District picked books that they have deemed inappropriate and are trying to take them from students. Mrs. Cooper spoke up for her students and in return may loose her job. We need to keep books, education, and our amazing librarian safe.

This is not a political issue- Democrats and Republicans alike want libraries!  Reading, and teaching our next generation to appreciate books is how we have advanced through each of the information explosions of the centuries.  We cannot let this tiny red schoolhouse library fall by the wayside. If you agree, please sign and share this petition today!

As residents of Pinellas County Florida, we trust the staff at the Palm Harbor Library to provide access to books, materials, displays and programming. We want our children to have access to displays and materials that will prepare them to learn about the world around them. We believe that parents should have the final decision as to what their children read and access. Pinellas County Commissioners should not Censor and Control what Palm Harbor residents access in their library. Politicians should not push their own agendas and instead should listen to the voice of the people they serve. Please sign and share this petition if you agree.

The new policy gives ultimate decision-making about what books are added to our libraries & what books are removed from our libraries, to the Board majority. The Board rejected a requirement that they READ books before deciding their fate. The policy removes the former review committee comprised of district staff & community members, who cooperated to assess challenged books. The new policy also imposes long delays on getting *any* new books into students’ hands. A year & a half after a staged visit from a political agitator kicked off a set of book challenges, our School Board majority ignored the voices of educators, students, community members, and even the district solicitor, to push through a problematic library policy revision. Its origins remain unclear, though anti-plagiarism software identifies multiple sections directly copied from other districts. Members of our community need to know that student access to books is being delayed & restricted for a political agenda. Our certified librarians & educators are being sidelined.  Who benefits from this policy? Please sign and share this petition if you support the right to read in Pine-Richland.

YOUR RIGHTS to freedom of expression, choice, and access to information, free of censorship, are under attack. Help us fight censorship and protect libraries from attack by keeping citizens of Lapeer informed of everything happening and actions they can take. Demand our local officials protect our freedoms. Show up and demonstrate how strongly our community supports Constitutional freedoms. We are dedicated to preserving Americans’ freedom to choose what we read. Join our anti-censorship, pro-library work and TAKE ACTION. To the Lapeer District Library Board and the Lapeer County Board of Commissioners:  We, the undersigned, want our Lapeer District Library (LDL) to continue to provide patrons access to the information they need, free of censorship. To this end, we demand that 1) Trustees be appointed to the LDL Board who will uphold their oath to the Constitution and 2) that LDL Trustees make decisions regarding library policies and collections that are in keeping with library law and the 1st and 14th Amendments. 

Last year a new Youth (Birth-17) Library Card was created and implemented that requires parent/guardian approval and allows parents/guardians to limit, observe and monitor the use of their child’s or minor’s card. A new project began in December to relocate Young Adult (YA) books from the Teen section into a section specifically designated for YA. The newly adopted Collection Development Policy changes and designates specific age ranges for books and sections from Teen ages 13-16 to Teen ages 13-17 and from YA 16+ to YA 18-25. Juvenile age remains Infancy-12 years old. More safeguards have been put in place so there is no need to spend $15,000-$25,000 or more to implement new restricted Juvenile and Teen Library Cards, especially since our public libraries are chronically underfunded and there is no pornography in the library!  

The St. Francis Area Schools Board of Education must end its mandate that the library use BookLooks.org, an anonymous website designed to target books with diverse viewpoints. Parents, students, and teachers deserve to have materials on the shelves that have been transparently vetted and reviewed by credible resources and publications, not shady websites with thinly-veiled political goals. Library collection policies should require that professional librarians use credible review sources to build strong collections materials that support the learning and growth of all students. BookLooks, by contrast, requires no credentials, is not transparent in naming reviewers, and has no editorial standards. Its anonymous members regularly rate important and valuable literary works as controversial or objectionable based on their discriminatory viewpoint. Sign the petition and tell the St. Francis Area Schools Board of Education to stop mandating the use of BookLooks in their libraries!

If HB473 passes it will lead to more widespread censorship in our schools, the possible cancellation of contracts for vendors of research databases, and it will leave Utah's students without high quality reliable resources to support their academic success. RESEARCH DATABASES ARE SAFE - MUCH SAFER THAN THE OPEN WEB The bill is being advanced on the false premise that curated, grade-level appropriate databases are not safe for students.  This was proven untrue in 2018, when allegations were brought before the Utah Education Network (UEN), and they were unable to replicate any problematic results. UEN continued to monitor and report on appropriate use of research databases by students from 2018-2023, issuing 28 separate reports. WE HAVE STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS ALREADY IN PLACE TO THAT ADDRESS DATABASE SAFETY Students are protected by the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), a federal law that requires schools to block anything that meets the legal definition of “harmful to minors”. Likewise, in 2021, Utah passed HB38 School Technology Amendments which requires digital resources used by students to have safety policies and technology protection measures that prohibit and prevent the sending, receiving, viewing, or downloading obscene or pornographic material. Please sign this petition and then send an email to your state senator (look up your legislator here) asking them not to pass unnecessary regulations that will harm our students, and create another tangled bureaucracy. For key points, see FAQ on HB473

The Warren County Library Commission must end its promotion of BookLooks.org, an anonymous website designed to target books with diverse viewpoints, and any sites like it. Parents deserve credible resources from trained professionals, not unvetted sources. Endorsing BookLooks and similar websites compromises our library's integrity and parents' right to reliable information about books for their children. Our libraries already provide credible reviews through databases like NoveList and resources like Kirkus Reviews. Sites like BookLooks require no professional credentials, have no named reviewers, and follow no editorial standard. Its anonymous members routinely flag important literary works, especially those covering topics of sexuality, race, religion, or history, as controversial or objectionable. At multiple public meetings, dozens of community members objected to BookLooks and similar sites, but the Library Commission ignored concerned taxpayers and pushed forward despite overwhelming opposition. Sign this petition if you believe Warren County Public Libraries should remove BookLooks.org from its list of endorsed resources for patrons and recommend only vetted, transparent book review websites.