#every library

Americans have defended one core principle: the government does not get to decide what we are allowed to read.

H.R. 7661 threatens that principle. By tying federal education funding to restrictions on certain books and educational materials, this bill pressures schools to remove titles that discuss identity, history, and lived experiences that some politicians find controversial. When Washington uses funding as leverage to shape what is on library shelves, that is federal regulation of ideas.

This is bigger than one category of books. It is about whether the federal government can use its power to narrow the range of stories and perspectives available to students of all identities and backgrounds. It is about whether educators and school librarians will feel forced to self-censor to protect their budgets. And it is about whether young people will grow up in classrooms shaped by political fear instead of free expression.

Reading builds empathy, critical thinking, and civic understanding. Once the government begins deciding which viewpoints are acceptable, every reader’s freedom is at risk.

Legal precedents such as the Miller Test and state-level obscenity laws already ensure that there are no inappropriate books on school shelves. This legislation will be used to ban a wide range of books, as we've already seen in other states.

source [x]Popularized by Marian Wright Edelman, the founder of the Children’s Defense Networks, these choice words have recently been given new life in the push for media representation. Perhaps you’ve heard about advocates such as Geena Davis (actress and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media) or the founders of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh and Dhonielle Clayton, rising up to push back against their respective industries and make their message known: Visibility matters.

Here in libraries, we also play a part. Our key roles in communities mean that we can amplify efforts to promote underrepresented creators and content. And for the vast majority of librarians, that translates into a mission to diversify our collections. According to recent research from School Library Journal, 81% of librarians surveyed think it is “very important” to have books featuring protagonists and experiences that reflect a wide array of ethnicities, cultural or religious backgrounds, disabilities, gender identities, and LGBTQIA+ orientations.

I stand with librarians who take this step and then one further; building inclusive collections and making the intentional choices that will ultimately put these books in more hands. Choices as small and subtle as displays that don’t limit the celebration of diversity to heritage months, or as big and flashy as a program series on girl empowerment spotlighting women in tech.