Austin Libraries Prepare for a Barrage of Book-Banning Bills

A shelf at Austin Central Library (Photo by John Anderson)

Among the 1,115 House and Senate bills that have so far been filed for the 88th Texas Legislature in this book-banning era, it is no surprise that some have the potential to significantly hamper libraries and librarians across the state. In preparation, the city Library Commission turned its focus on those potentially devastating bills during their meeting Monday, Nov. 28.

"Texas has had more books banned in schools than any other state in the country, and this organized push to remove books from schools and public libraries is not slowing down," Wendy Woodland with the Texas Library Association told library staff at the meeting, the Austin Monitor reported.

Perhaps the most concerning legislation is House Bill 338, filed by Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, which would require publishers to assign content ratings to books. The scores, such as BK-MA for "explicit depictions of sexuality" or BK-PG for "suggestive dialogue or situations," work like movie ratings, except they'd place restrictions on which books students can access depending on a borrower's age. And books deemed improper could be recalled. The other side of that coin is HB 552, filed by former City Council Member Ellen Troxclair, which would make it easier for librarians to be convicted for "distributing or displaying harmful material to a minor" by repealing a defense for educational purposes. Woodland also pointed to HB 631, filed by state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, similar to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation, which would block classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender until middle school. Then there's the anti-drag bill, HB 643 filed by state Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, making it criminal for venues to host transgender performances (including any man playing a female character – as is common in Shakespeare and ballet shows). This could also prevent transgender librarians from teaching classes or running programs. Meanwhile, HB 231 filed by Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, would affect school libraries by giving the State Board of Educa­tion the authority to set standards for online library resources for primary and secondary schools and impact internet safety policies.

"There's a lot to do over the next 140 days," Woodland said. "This is a great opportunity to really show what libraries are all about and the amazing impact they have."

Austin Public Library spokesperson Baylor Johnson told the Chronicle that APL is monitoring any legislation that could impact "our ability to fulfill our mission and responsibilities to the community." The city's Inter­gov­ernmental Relations Office has asked the city's Law Department to analyze the most threatening bills.