Little v. Llano County, Texas
American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) is deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up the case of Little v. Llano County in Texas. The Fifth Circuit’s decision will thus stand for Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and with it the court’s opinion that Llano County was justified in removing 17 books from its collection. This disturbing ruling gives undue legitimacy to the idea that library curation is “government speech” and, more disturbing still, the notion that the First Amendment does not protect the right to receive information in public libraries. The Supreme Court’s decision not to take this case creates a vastly uneven censorship landscape for these three states and advances the agenda of book censors nationwide.
Booksellers: this ruling impacts libraries only, not bookstores. While this decision is disappointing, the fight against censorship continues. In fact, this means it is more essential than ever to make sure your voice, and not just the voices of censors, are represented in your community. Sign up for ABA’s advocacy updates to hear about book censorship legislation in your state so you know how you and/or your customers can get involved.
New York Rallies for the Freedom to Read
A huge thank you to everyone who turned out Monday, December 8, in Albany and New York City to ask Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Freedom to Read Act!
Dozens gathered in NYC’s Union Square and the NYS Capitol War Room to support the Freedom to Read Act, a bill awaiting the governor’s signature that would protect school libraries’ ability to represent a wide range of perspectives and voices. ABA’s Philomena Polefrone joined the Union Square rally and shivered in solidarity with young activists, PEN America, New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), authors, booksellers (shoutout to Leah Johnson of Loudmouth Books!), and more, while handing out free banned books donated by publishers.
Hours after the rallies concluded, the Governor requested the bill be sent to her desk, which we hope will be the first step towards signing! But it ain’t over till it’s over. You can join NYCLU’s call relay to ask the Governor for her signature. Learn more about the call relay here.