This recent surge in book challenges is unlike those that take precedent. Typically, there are only one or two books up for question every year or so, and that’s being generous. But for the current influx of book challenges, parents all over the state are pouring in with complaints. What really stands out is that parents aren’t just looking at school libraries, they are investigating public libraries as well.
Banned books are a hot topic all across the United States. Every school district is filled with different types of families who expect schools to teach their kids different things. Not everyone has the same point of view on teaching, and that is where banned books come into play.
Parents meet with school boards to demand that books be taken out off of school shelves. Their reasons usually follow along the lines of sexually explicit content or adult themes. Whether those books fit into those categories are up to the school district.
Texas is not new to the ways of banning books. It is a practice that has been going for generations as parents wage war with school administration. But things have gone a step further. Parents have been filing complaints against public libraries for exposing their children to questionable content.
The Austin Public Library system has taken a stand against the sweep of complaints coming at them. The APL has been working with the Texas Library Association and the American Library Association to fight the multitude of complaints.
“Freedom to read is a right that must be protected in our schools and public libraries, and we must not give in to the vocal few that want to speak for the many,” said APL Director Roosevelt Weeks.
But even with public libraries being a new target, parents haven’t forgotten about the public schools. Austin’s Leander ISD is one of the book banning hot spots. Leander ISD has been called “ground zero” for the massive influx of book complaints.
Parents in the Leander ISD area have filed complains against Tim Federle’s “Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” and “Better Nate Than Ever,” books focused on a young boy discovering his sexual identity. Another book being met with large opposition is Jonathan Evison’s “Lawn Boy,” which depicts similar material to Federle ‘s work.
There have been growing concerns by Texas lawmakers that public schools are providing children with access to pornographic material. Governor Greg Abbott recently ordered the Texas Education Agency to go through all public school libraries to ensure that no students were being provided “pornographic material.” This in turn led to librarians across the state having to go through all of their books to ensure that they comply with Abbott’s new rule.
If a librarian refused to do so, or missed a book with such material, they could be charged up to $4,000 and undergo a yar of jail time.
With all of these books coming into question, librarians are doing their best to keep up with the new demands. This also includes following all regulations placed upon them by the TEA.
