Last year the Utah State legislature passed HB374 which has lead directly to books being banned in our school libraries. This hurts students and limits their ability to think for themselves, leaving them less self-reliant, and ill-prepared for success in an increasingly competitive global economy. Legislators are now suggesting that they need to pass MORE censorship laws - even ones that could lead to arresting librarians and teachers for their commitment to protecting constitutional freedoms and access to information for students. They think they are the best judge of how to parent and teach Utah kids -- and they want to take away your freedom to choose books for you and your family. We trust parents, librarians, and teachers to parent and teach, and think politicians should not be using the power of the state to restrict our freedoms and liberties just to appease loud extremists. We trust professional librarians and teachers to choose materials that support the education, development, and mental health of ALL students in accordance with state standards, local policy, and state and federal laws. Sign the petition and stand with Utahns who oppose book bans and support the freedom to read. (If you live outside of Utah, please sign this national petition: https://action.everylibrary.org/bookbans)

Proposed censorship measures in several U.S. states will regulate the books that you're allowed to read in our nation's libraries. Some could also lead to jailing librarians as a result of their commitment to free speech and access to library materials. If they succeed, you will lose your freedom to choose books for you and your family. Help fight against book bans and government censorship.

Sign the petition to support the Banned Books Week resolution! The resolutions protects your freedom of speech and expression. Congress needs to know that this is a bi-partisan issue that touches on the rights and hopes of every American.

Please join this campaign because: Having a school library and certified school librarian protects students' right to read and their First Amendment rights. Data from more than 34 statewide studies suggest that students tend to earn better standardized test scores in schools that have strong library programs. NEASC, the national accreditation body for public schools, does require that "All students receive library/information services that support their learning from adequate, certified/licensed personnel." In the 2020 Standards for Accreditation, this is a mandate, not a suggestion. Losing the library program puts Lynnfield and the school at risk of book challenges. Students and teachers will not have access to the large number of online databases only given to school libraries with a certified library media specialist. No school librarian means that the library collection will not get updated and curated, students will not have access to reliable, accurate information for supporting their learning. Having a school library is an equity issue. A lack of a school library and library media specialist will negatively impact student success and teacher collaboration. Students and teachers will be losing a tech integrator and the creator and teacher for the student help desk and the LHS Makerspace. In the study, School libraries and MCAS scores, the results show that there is a direct correlation between certified school library media specialists and MCAS scores.

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.

If the Government and Christian sects are allowed to censor or remove what we have access to a dangerous precedent will be set. 1. Our access to new ideas will be restricted 2. The Government will take the responsibility for a child's access to information from the parents where it belongs. 3. Where will the next ban be? We already have states that are trying to limit and restrict access to African American history and culture 4. A group or several groups in our country will be marginalized and isolated. 5. There will be a dangerous attack on the First Amendment's guarantee of protection from religious interference in our local government and on our right to freedom of speech. Please look at book burning and persecutions (Gays, Jews, Catholics, the Mentally or Physically challenged) that happened in Nazi Germany as a warning about what can happen to a society that does not fight against government overreach.