CNN A federal judge in Texas ruled that at least 12 books removed from public libraries by Llano County officials, many because of their LGBTQ and racial content, must be placed back onto. Stay current with all the latest and breaking news about. Outside the county building, loud cheers could be heard as jubilant opponents of shutting down the libraries celebrated. In addition to the complaint, the plaintiffs legal team is also working on filing a motion for preliminary injunction, which is a pre-trial court order that would require the county to immediately roll back restrictions in question, such as bringing new books into the library system and putting the previously removed books back on the shelves. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey. Access to materials Today, several witnesses testified in an ongoing federal trial related to controversial library books in the Llano County Library System. Whether or not the Llano County Library System will be forced to replace 12 books removed from its shelves by Library Director Amber Milum in November 2021 is now under consideration by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman. |. DailyTrib.com moderates all comments. Welcome to the Llano County. Llano County public officials dont have to read any books they disagree with but they have no right to ban them.. Theyre grooming. Llano County libraries case has lawyers and publishers worried about Library lawsuit awaits judge's decision on preliminary injunction The Library offers many electronic resources that can be accessed Popular products that are a must-have for the Fourth, 11 dad shoes and other accessories that are perfect, Best Fourth of July deals to shop this year. The lawsuit also claims that one librarian was fired after refusing to remove books from the shelf. According to Baker, a group of people had reached out to the library system about books that they said were inappropriate or pornographic, and they wanted them removed, but she disagreed. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Find Us On Facebook - Llano. The plaintiffs are represented by legal teams from law firms BraunHagey & Borden in California and Wittliff Cutter in Austin. I believe in managing my own family and what my children read. Llano County Library System - Welcome! The embattled list of 17 books includes several for adults and young adults that deal with themes of race, gender and sexuality in addition to the ones for kids about farts. The newly appointed Library Advisory Board has been working on rewriting the bylaws as well as library policies since the previous board was dissolved and then reinstated in January of this year with mostly new and more members. Federal appeals court hears arguments in Llano County book ban lawsuit "This is the final warning and termination," Baker said, as she pointed. The case stands out as campaigns to pull books from the shelves move from classrooms to libraries, threatening the fabric of free society. Republican-backed efforts across the country, including what critics call the "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida or the anti-race education legislation, aim to limit speech and/or content on race, gender and sexual orientation. Weve tested the most popular exercise dresses to see which are practical for boxing class, which are just for mimosas and which swing both ways. However, I am and will always be a fierce opponent of legislating faith. I object to pornography and like materials being available in public libraries. The tone was set early, with the ALAs first-ever Rally for the Right to Read at the Chicago Hilton unofficially opening the conference on Thursday, June 22. Social media tutorials to answer common questions about Texas Group Catalog Cotton claimed the March 28 meeting would include whether Drag Queen story hour and other woke agendas are appropriate in the school system or the public library. Cotton also called for county residents to attend the meeting to speak out against these actions and provide comments openly supporting the advisory board. Is there a difference between limiting access to books by children in the public library versus the public school? As for the Bible I have never seen any pornographic drawings in any of my Bibles. Llano County Texas faces First Amendment censorship challenge after The board is separate from the newsroom and other sections of the paper. WATCH: Everything we found investigating TxTag Troubles, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. So the county appealed, and on Thursday, Llano County commissioners met to consider closing its libraries entirely rather than comply with the judge's order. Texas county weighs shutting down libraries to circumvent judge's - TPR And I think were a little bit emboldened to imagine not just the future of our organization but what our conferences are going to look like.. As soon as Anderson was finished, an unidentified man walked in from the lobby, objecting and saying he should also be allowed to speak as he had been there longer than Anderson. you become more aware of and more comfortable using They just want to be able to use our children as sex objects for their own pleasure. Cars pass by the the Llano County Courthouse in Llano on Dec. 14, 2021. Castelan said she is overwhelmed by the support of patrons and children who have emailed, texted, called, and stopped by the library. The issue of what materials are appropriate for children to read, watch, or hear in Llano County or any other place should be made by the citizens that reside there, not lawyers from Austin or California. The document can be accessed online at the PacerMonitor website. Llano County commissioners voted to take the item of the library's closure off the agenda, alleviating the immediate threat. Neither Wallace nor Cunningham returned phone calls about the text message before the meeting. LLANO Denise Kennedy emerged from the Llano County Courtroom to jubilant cheers from her fellow library supporters, eager to hear what was going on in the cramped meeting room on Thursday. Your opinion of what is pornography and mine are waaay different and exactly why public venues in the community that children have access to need to have strong guidelines. A draft of the bylaws was submitted to the countys legal team for review in February. Home News News By Town Llano Llano head librarian resigns due to lack of response over grievances, The Llano County Library, 102 E. Haynie St. in Llano. The American Library Associations Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has tracked a record-breaking number of book challenges, or attempts to ban or remove books, in 2021. By Kirkland An,Katherine Feser,Nusaiba Mizan, If Llano County can't ban books, will they close the libraries? He votes for party, not country. I fully agree with this suit. "That was the humble start of our library system. The employee who "weeded" the books, according to the county, followed industry-wide best practices, part of a regular process evaluating the relevance, currency and physical quality of a library's collection. Comments with profanity, violent or discriminatory language, defamatory statements, or threats will not be allowed. It is her biography of her life growing up as a transgendered teenager and obviously this group thought that was too much for their children to read, Baker said. Enjoy all your local news and sports for less than 5 per day. She was called in to speak to Human Resources Director Lisa Otto and First Assistant Llano County Attorney Matthew Rienstra, who spent the first part of the meeting asking her questions about the grievance letter. Castelan resigned one day after presenting a letter of grievance signed by the remaining six librarians to system Director Amber Milum during a quarterly staff meeting Sept. 12. The books in my library in Kingsland were not taken off the shelves, we did not move them, I told my boss that was censorship, Baker said. The residents say the county is violating their first amendment rights by removing award-winning books from shelves due to their content and terminating "access to over 17,000 digital books from the local library system. Or in a very short time you can sit around and tell each other what a great place Llano once was. Ive seen my character tarnished, my professionalism questioned, and felt unsupported by my county.. To tell you all how much we appreciate you, and to give you all our support. In an entertaining 30-minute onstage talk with her publisher, Justin Chanda, senior v-p at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Blume, whose books remain among the ALAs all-time most challenged, recalled her past battles with book banners. In total, 29 stories have been published about Llano County which Ground News has aggregated in the past 3 months. the removal of books from library shelves. I have worked all these years for this pensionand I could lose it. And what are we saying to her? Blume said. library resources like eBooks, language learning tools, Greg Abbott tells state agencies to develop standards to block books with overtly sexual content in schools, Austin Public Library condemns book banning in Texas, library staff conducted a thorough review of every childrens book, How to use kids paint brush sets for crafting outdoors, The Testing Lab: Our favorite exercise dresses for, Fire crews responds to northwest Austin boat dock, Teen pinned inside vehicle in Circle C crash, The Texas shooter in a racist Walmart attack is going, Texas State offers free 24/7 counseling for students, Austin Fire: 300 fireworks-related calls this July, Study: Austin has the highest cost of living in Texas, Stalemate: UPS, Teamsters contract talks break down, Ukraine, Russia accuse each other of planning to, Quran burnings have Sweden torn between free speech, Exonerated member of Central Park Five wins primary,, As Israel ends 2-day West Bank offensive, Palestinian, Powder found in White Houses West Wing lobby tests, A travelers guide on climate change advocacy, CapMetro rail service temporarily suspended, H-E-B celebrates grand opening of Nutty Brown store, East Austin neighborhood hit with construction issues, PHOTOS: Austin neighborhoods celebrate July 4, Security cams up at some ATX parks to stop break-ins, Vehicle inspector charged with faking safety tests, AISD to bring solar panels to 16 schools using grant, Transition closet opens to support trans Texans, How you can give up your baby anonymously in Texas, Best thrifting spots, according to KXAN viewers, Weather history: Austins hottest, coldest July 4th, What to know for seeing fireworks at Auditorium Shores, Man taken into custody after south Austin SWAT call, How APD response times changed during DPS deployment, Manchester United Signs Chelseas Mason Mount in, MLB Fans Crush Ump in Cubs-Brewers After His Embarrassing, Coco Gauff May Need a Reset After Upset Loss at Wimbledon, Report: NBA Insider Shares Latest on Timeline for, White Sox Slugger Had Priceless Reaction After Absolutely, Josh Allen Calls Out Coverage of Stefon Diggss Missed, The Western Conferences Most Underrated Signings, Tigers Pitcher Tarik Skubal Made an As Hitter Look, A timeline of the New York Libertys itinerary to, 9 people, including 2 kids, are shot and wounded, New laws aimed to prevent police suicide in Texas, WilCo confederate monument covered in fabric Tuesday, Sheriff: Body of 8 year old missing in Lake Travis, LIST: Celebrities who live in the Austin area, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this summer. Southeast Texas Defendants claim to be on a hunt to eradicate pornographic materials, the residents said in their complaint. PWxyz, LLC. ", The county judge reportedly wrote in an email to Bonnie Wallace, the woman who first alerted the county to supposed Pornographic Filth in its libraries and who is now the vice-chair of the countys library advisory board, that the county is not mandated by law to provide a public library., Even prior to this weeks meeting, the county had radically reshaped the library system, undermining its function as a public resource by first freezing its ability to add any new purchased ordonated books, then stuffing its library advisory board with outspoken critics who quickly closed their meetings to the public. The 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference concluded on June 27, in Chicago, with the ALA reporting a solid bump in turnout over 2022. I am begging you not to do that. Chmara said she believes the momentum is changing in the battle over the freedom to read, as more people now realize what is going on and are standing up to the would-be censors in their communities. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Llano County faces federal lawsuit over censorship in library system, Receive Breaking news and the best of DailyTrib.com Direct to your inbox, dissolution and creation of the countys Library Advisory Board, March 9 termination of the head librarian of the Kingsland Branch Library, recent decision to close meetings to the public, direct quotes from emails and other correspondence sent between county officials, advisory board members, and library staff, accessed online at the PacerMonitor website, LCRA helping groups battle invasive plants on LBJ, Inks, Invasive hydrilla explodes across the Highland Lakes. Were having good conversations about inclusion, and about equity and diversity, and about accessibility, and also about LGBTQIA and disability voices and history, and how we need all of that to keep our society strong and that people need to see themselves in libraries and in literature, Hall said. Twelve people spoke about what kinds of books should not be available on library shelves. Just close the schools. A historic Texas mansion hit the market. News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. That is the bottom line. I resigned because of the lack of response, Castelan told DailyTrib.com. Concert review: Willie Nelson, at 90, wows Woodlands crowd, Harris County targets Houston title company named in lawsuits, Solomon: The inconsistent and injured Astros need a trade, 5 Houston spots make New York Times best Texas barbecue list, Where to watch July 4th fireworks for Houston suburbs, July 4th fireworks in Cy-Fair, Spring and other northwest Houston, Astros' Jose Altuve a late scratch for series opener vs. Rockies, How 2 friends gave The Woodlands many of its names, We don't want your ugly townhouses (Editorial), Dozens of HISD schools want to be included in Miles' reform, seven residents filed a lawsuit back in April 2022, wrote in an April 2022 statement that the county, all six of the countys librarians presented an official letter of grievance to Library Director Amber Milum. He says he was refused a position on the new board. News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Seven county residents filed the lawsuit earlier this year . If the people who call Llano County home want it to remain a safe place to live, work, and raise a family in, you need to wake up and do something about it. A physical copy of Gender Queer has never been available inside the county library system, according to a Nov. 12 email sent to county officials by the library system director. The motion failed after Commissioner Jerry Don Moss voiced opposition to pushing the vote back. They have a lot of money, she said of the political actors seeking to ban books. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. Houston's "The Garbage Kid" grabs the attention of Paul Wall, Houston's most popular pools, according to data. We need to raise awareness, said Deborah Doyle, chair of the Sonoma County, Calif., Library Commission, and the 20232024 president of advocacy group United for Libraries. Theres more than one way to skin a cat. He noted that the attendance of the library systems director at board meetings was not included and that statements surrounding the boards interactions with the public were vague. The Commissioners Court for Llano County voted to close the public library to "inventory and catalog" their books after . academic skills in reading, writing, math and science. AUSTIN (KXAN) On March 9, Suzette Baker was fired as head librarian at the Kingsland Branch Library in Llano County. Before the meeting got underway, residents who want to keep the library opened complained that they were being denied a chance to address the commissioners in their chamber, which is known as the commissioners' courtroom and has capacity for only 35 people. organization stated in its "State of America's Libraries" study. I do know that MEN have created rather pornographic renderings called Art by other men. The 17 titles included one for teens that calls the Ku Klux Klan a terrorist group. Can't ban books? They'll close the library instead. (Editorial) Last year, anassistant principal at a Mississippi elementary school was firedafter he read I Need a New Butt! to a second grade class. In a past statement, County Judge Ron Cunningham told The Washington Post that the county was cognizant of the concerns of our citizens pertaining to our library system.. The next time the Llano County Commission is expected to discuss the new library advisory board is on Monday, Jan. 10. Return postage is $3.15 for each item is required People have talked about grooming. Every year, the Houston Chronicle publishes The Chronicle 100, a series of lists that encompass the breadth of the regional economy. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are registered trademarks of PWxyz, LLC. Go have a look at some of these books that were removed. What products should you buy this Prime Day? Brandon. Those . Now, some worry. The title is one of several at the heart of a fight that has stretched on for months now, all leading to a special meeting this Thursday where the county commissioners court is set to decide whether to keep its libraries open at all. Among the highlights, Dolly Parton was awarded an honorary ALA membership for her Imagination Library initiative, which ships two million free books every month to young children all over the world. Latest News Stories. Baker said she was given the warning to remove books by her boss, but she did not comply. Winner of 2022 Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing. At a session titled How to Fight Book Bans: Authors on Speaking Up and Fighting Back, We Need Diverse Books cofounder and CEO Ellen Oh moderated a panel of authors, including Samira Ahmed, Jerry Craft, Ashley Hope Perez, Kyle Lukoff, and Eliot Schrefer. Dont want people reading Pulitzer-Prize winning author Isabel Wilkersons book about racism and caste? Though Plaintiffs differ in their ages, professions, and individual religious and political beliefs, they are fiercely united in their love for reading public library books and in their belief that the government cannot dictate which books they can and cannot read.. It is not a safe space for kids, Schneider said of the library. As he continued, a law enforcement officer in attendance escorted the man back to the lobby, warning that people would be removed from the building if the behavior continued. It read, in part, the judge has said, if we lose the injunction, he will CLOSE the library because he WILL NOT put the porn back in the kids section!. Im sure glad the do good Liberals names are published, that way the GOOD people of Llano know who and what they are up against. Its my hope that the library will once again become a haven for those who need it. Neither of them spoke. South Texas The increased attendance was also likely spurred by the presence of Annie Gowen, a reporter with the Washington Post who attended the meeting, and a local Facebook post claiming the meeting was about the availability of pornographic books. Very courageous! I know my grandchildren are going to greatly miss her, she said. Just close the libraries? Thats exactly it.. Board members are not allowed to speak. Llano County commissioners could decide to shut down the county library system during a special meeting set for 3 p.m. Thursday, April 13. The Llano County emergency meeting was called after U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman ruled last week in favor of Little and six other residents who sued Cunningham, Wallace, the Llano County commissioners and the other library board members for removing the books. DailyTrib.com moderates all comments. Search. Home Government Llano County Llano County faces federal lawsuit over censorship in library system. I think the bylaws should clearly state the position of the advisory group, (whether they) allow public attendance at their meeting, and (whether they) allow public comments, Jones said. People read books that have been banned while Llano County officials read the Declaration of Independence at a celebration. This is not censorship or book bans, its about protecting children in one specific public place where safety is presumed. They are pornographic period. Onstage, in meeting rooms, and on the show floor, the fight against censorship was the major theme of this years conference. DailyTrib.com has been reporting extensively on the issue since December 2021, since the previous board was dissolved and then reinstated in January of this year. Nothing good ever comes from secret meetings that should be open to the public. In addition, as part of the discovery for the lawsuit they filed against the county on April 25, 2022, Little and the other book-banning opponents uncovered a text message that Bonnie Wallace, who isvice chairman of the Llano County Library Advisory Board and an ally of the commissioners, sent to one of their supporters. Google Apps and Microsoft Apps. Rochelle Wells (Secretary) Rhonda Schneider. The Llano County HR department told KXAN it had no comment about the situation. LLANO, Texas Controversy started brewing over certain books in the Llano County library system two years ago when residents complained that certain books were inappropriate for children. "In 2021, libraries found themselves at the center of attacks orchestrated by conservative parent groups and right-wing media that targeted books about race, gender, and LGBTQIA+ issues for removal from public and school library shelves and, in some cases, included threats of book burning," the organization stated in its "State of America's Libraries" study. That were all there, and that we are not going to let this happen., Blumes talk was the highlight of a jam-packed opening program. Her resignation leaves only a part-time, 28-hour-a week person to run the facility. Library System Catalog! And there was a general sense that, after nearly three years of an organized political assault, freedom to read advocates were finally getting themselves organized, and the tide may be beginning to turn in their favor. Other grievances were listed, including lack of staff, broken equipment, and the directors refusal to answer emails or address librarians concerns. It also references the county Library Advisory Boards recent decision to close meetings to the public. LLANO COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM : HOURS Llano Library Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:30 Kingsland Library Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:30 Lakeshore Library Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:30: Webinars and . There are very clear rules that should be followed with regards to censorship to books in the public library, those rules were not followed, Little said. After concerns from patrons and employees, leaders say Llano Library A hearing on a preliminary injunction to reinstate the systems e-book service and return banned books to library shelves is Oct. 28 and Oct. 31 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, with Judge Robert Pitman presiding. Llano County library supporters declare victory as officials decide not CNN - National A Texas county that was ordered to return banned books to its shelves is set to consider shutting down its library system Getty Images LAW Ho Ming/Moment RF/Getty Images The. Jeff Scoggins paused from livestreaming the meeting to warn the commissioners that they will hear it from the voters if they bow to a "minority" that is pushing to close the libraries. I say this as one who doesnt necessarily agree with some of the subjects mentioned personally. The foundation has enjoyed watching her take the summer reading program for kids and make it into something wonderful for all ages, said foundation President Leila Green Little. Being a person who has loved ones who are gay, loved ones who are transgender, I cant understand how you can let your religious belief system give you an excuse to be prejudicial to a group of people, Anderson said to the crowd. A federal lawsuit is being filed against Llano County officials over claims that actions taking place in the county's library system violate rights in the First and Fourteenth amendments. Were happy to gather. I dont have the right to manage what my neighbors children or the communitys children read. West Texas Una de las personas que estuvo en el siniestro asegura que hicieron mal el croquis. ", Nobody is forcing children or adults to read any of the books in a library, Ellen Leonida, one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuit, told us in an email last year. When he arrived at the commissioners' courtroom Thursday morning, he ran into a group of people who support banning the books gathered in the shade of a tent that had been set up for them outside and learned they had been given speaking slots. He was referring to the advisory boards March 3 decision to close meetings to the public. Llano Head Librarian Martina Castelan resigned her position as of Sept. 27 but was asked to pack up her personal belongings and leave at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19. The other was approving the systems accreditation in the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Because the book used words like butt and fart and included cartoon images of a childs behind. Llano County is just one of many nationwide fired up about the restriction of subjects in public libraries and schools. In fact, she did so without even reading them! A citizens group in Llano County, Tex., has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that county officials violated their constitutional rights when they unilaterally removed "award-winning. The initiative, called Learning Without Limits, will support broadband hot spot distribution from libraries and schools across the country.
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