Posted on Oct 3, 2022
A group of angry library patrons in Texas has gone to court over book removals
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https://www.npr.org/2022/10/03/ [login to see] /a-group-of-angry-library-patrons-in-texas-has-gone-to-court-over-book-removals
A group of library patrons in Llano, Texas, has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against county officials for removing or restricting a range of books. It's a rare example of readers pushing back.
A group of library patrons in Llano, Texas, has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against county officials for removing or restricting a range of books. It's a rare example of readers pushing back.
A group of angry library patrons in Texas has gone to court over book removals
Posted from npr.org
State of Texas
Reading
1st Amendment
Freedom of Speech
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."BURNETT: In addition to children's books, four highly regarded and awarded books for adults and young adults came off the Llano library shelves. They are "Being Jazz: My Life As A (Transgender) Teen;" "Spinning," a book about a young figure skater who comes out; "Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents" and "They Called Themselves The K.K.K.: The Birth Of An American Terrorist Group." Early this year, according to the lawsuit, the commissioners court created a new library advisory board, packed it with political appointees and closed the meetings to the public. The plaintiffs say they have no recourse but the courts.
GREEN LITTLE: We've lost friends (laughter) over this. There are people in town that used to say, hi, to me, and they don't do that anymore.
BURNETT: Little is a 37-year-old grad student in library science and a mom whose kids use the public library. In Llano, a mostly white, mostly Republican, cowboy-flavored town of fewer than 4,000 souls, she says the social cost of suing the library has been profound.
GREEN LITTLE: However (laughter), I knew that when my kids get older and they have something that they need to stand up for, I couldn't in good conscience tell them to speak up and speak out if I didn't do the same thing myself.
BURNETT: The first hearing to ask a federal judge to force Llano County to return the restricted books is set for the end of this month in Austin. John Burnett, NPR News, Llano, Texas."...
..."BURNETT: In addition to children's books, four highly regarded and awarded books for adults and young adults came off the Llano library shelves. They are "Being Jazz: My Life As A (Transgender) Teen;" "Spinning," a book about a young figure skater who comes out; "Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents" and "They Called Themselves The K.K.K.: The Birth Of An American Terrorist Group." Early this year, according to the lawsuit, the commissioners court created a new library advisory board, packed it with political appointees and closed the meetings to the public. The plaintiffs say they have no recourse but the courts.
GREEN LITTLE: We've lost friends (laughter) over this. There are people in town that used to say, hi, to me, and they don't do that anymore.
BURNETT: Little is a 37-year-old grad student in library science and a mom whose kids use the public library. In Llano, a mostly white, mostly Republican, cowboy-flavored town of fewer than 4,000 souls, she says the social cost of suing the library has been profound.
GREEN LITTLE: However (laughter), I knew that when my kids get older and they have something that they need to stand up for, I couldn't in good conscience tell them to speak up and speak out if I didn't do the same thing myself.
BURNETT: The first hearing to ask a federal judge to force Llano County to return the restricted books is set for the end of this month in Austin. John Burnett, NPR News, Llano, Texas."...
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