Reading and literacy is so important. Many families and individuals can’t afford books. They are so expensive these days. I would hate for any child or adult be deprived of books. They build intelligence, and imagination.

Book banning is on the ballot in the non-partisan Katy ISD Board of Trustees election, scheduled for May 6, 2023. Trustees are typically decided on by less than 10% of registered voters. Make a plan to vote for candidates who whole heartedly reject book bans and will fight to protect every student's right to read.

There are three bills designed to dismantle Louisiana libraries and limit your right to read. HB25 will politicize libraries by ending local library boards of control as we’ve known them. SB7 and HB102 are aimed at restricting what books Louisiana citizens can read in our libraries. While short-sighted politicians use national culture war talking points to try to divide us and tell us what books our kids should or shouldn’t read, we trust Louisiana citizens to make their own decisions about what to read, and we trust parents to parent their own children. Louisiana’s public libraries have policies and protections in place to ensure that there is a robust library collection that serves the needs of the local community. Those policies, passed with the input of the community in open public meetings, enable parents to make good reading choices for their children and protect kids from the substantial amount of dangerous content available on the open internet. Library, education, and good government stakeholders across our state have joined together to tell Louisiana legislators to oppose SB7/HB102 and HB25 which restrict Louisiana citizens’ access to books and information and also facilitate the politicization of libraries by allowing Parishes and Police Juries to remove the local library board of control. Please join us. Sign this petition today and ask your legislators to oppose SB7/HB102 and HB25. ___________________________________________________________________ SB7/HB102 FACTS Louisiana libraries do not collect and make available obscene materials. The definition of the term “sexually explicit” detailed in SB7 and HB102 is a broad one that encompasses all mention of sexual conduct. Codifying this definition into law would force the removal of age-appropriate books related to biology, sex education, health, puberty, art, and the Bible from the children and teen sections of libraries. Public libraries have a responsibility to provide age-appropriate materials on these topics to patrons. In all instances, parents have the opportunity and responsibility to direct the use of library materials for their child. SB7 and HB102 would: --Require libraries to consider undefined “community standards” for the population served when acquiring library materials. Public library selection policies are currently written to address the needs of all community members, thereby ensuring that groups in the minority of a population are served along with groups in the majority. --Require libraries to establish a library card system that restricts a minor from checking out any library material from a collection that contains sexually explicit material. Creating areas within libraries that house “objectionable” or “sexually explicit” material ignores the merit inherent in those titles as works of literature that should be judged in their entirety as required by the Miller Test. Libraries already organize their collections by age-appropriate categories and some restrict checkouts by card types. --Require libraries to establish a procedure that allows a library patron to request the reconsideration of whether library material should be included in a library collection and treats material that is considered sexually explicit by the patron differently than other library material. Louisiana public libraries currently have policies in place to allow patrons to request reconsideration of any library material. There is no reason to create an additional procedure. HB25 FACTS Public libraries in Louisiana have been operating for decades under the supervision of dedicated, knowledgeable board members and professional staff. The current state laws governing library boards of control have been set up to allow local governing authorities to oversee the board with reasonable limits in place. --House Bill 25 would lead to the politicization of library operations and be detrimental to the functioning of the library. There is no reasonable justification to eliminate the current management structure of public libraries and replace it with the unfettered power of a parish council or police jury. If applied, this bill would set a precedent that would have similar effects on other local boards and commissions. --HB25 states that library board members would serve at the pleasure of the governing authority. This removes the term structure set by current law and allows politicians to remove board members at will or keep them in office indefinitely. It also removes the staggered terms of board members that contributes to stability within the library board and in turn within library operations. --HB25 would also allow politicians to hire and fire library employees at will. Public libraries currently operate outside of partisan politics to serve the needs of the entire community. The proposed law has the potential to make library employment politically motivated rather than being based on professional experience and expertise.

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.

Parents already have the right to limit their own children's reading selections. Creating a restricted section that is only accessible with a permission slip creates unnecessary steps. The books have already been vetted by library professionals. By opening book challenges to all residents, parent rights are diluted as anyone can choose to limit the books that are available in libraries.