Officials in Llano County announced the return of several banned books after discussions at a special meeting on Thursday to decide whether to reinstate the books or shut down the library system.
A total of 17 books, many of which include themes relating to race, gender, and sexuality, were removed from libraries in Llano County for what officials described as pornographic and sexually explicit content, per Texas Public Radio. Following the book ban, county residents filed a lawsuit in April 2022, stating, “Book banning offends basic First Amendment principles and strikes at the core of our democracy,” per ABC News.
On March 31, Federal Judge Robert Pitman ordered the books to be returned to libraries, prompting Thursday’s special meeting to determine whether the county would comply with Pitman’s decision or shut down the library system indefinitely.
Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham announced the decision that the libraries would stay open and reinstate the banned books for the time being.
“The library will remain open while we try this in the courts, rather than through the news media,” Cunningham said, per NBC News.
Cunningham also said the county had spent more than $100,000 on legal costs related to the decision and said there would be an appeal to Pitman’s decision, per NBC News.
The meeting was attended by those who supported both sides of the decision, with many protesting outside due to a lack of seating inside the court.
Carolyn Foote is a co-founder of the FReadom Fighters, a group of librarians advocating against the decision to ban books. She said libraries offer more than just books and that shutting them down would significantly affect the community.
“If you look around here, there’s quite a few senior citizens here today protesting. A lot of seniors aren’t necessarily computer savvy. They have all sorts of community events, book clubs, things to help people get out of the house. So, you’re just depriving an entire community,” Foote said, per Texas Public Radio.
County resident James Arno agreed with the decision and said he believed parents should take a bigger role in monitoring what their children are allowed to read.
“It’s not our job to burn this thing to the ground to prevent kids from reading what these people are reading,” Arno said, per CBS 7 News. “It’s the parents’ job to know what their kids are into.”
While many agreed with the decision, many were in opposition. Llano County resident Eva Carter said she disagreed with the decision due to the nature of the content.
“We need to fight it in the court system and get this salacious material removed,” Carter said, per NBC News. “We have God on our side, and we expect he will get the glory when this is said and done.”
Another Llano County resident, Rhonda Schneider, said the library is unsafe for children and should be shut down until certain material is removed.
“It is not a safe space for kids,” said Schneider, per NBC News. “I am for closing the library until we get these books off the shelves.”
Another left wing nut judge puts his foot in his mouth in Texas.
Book banning has nothing to do with removing porn from public libraries These books can be found anywhere else, so they are not banned. If you are ok with kids having access to these books you are a pervert and groomer and a pedophile. . .
Another C student trying to dictate what people should be allowed to read. Sorry if you lack reading comprehension.
Are you a groomer too?
Dude. It’s a public library, not a school library. Maybe if you actually had the reading comprehension of a 10 year old your opinion would matter. Do your job as a parent and stop trying to take away other people’s freedoms because of your failures.
So our libraries should be a source of porn for perverts to abuse themselves? That kind of stuff can be found in any corner news stand but they have to buy it! Tax payers shouldn’t have too and should have a choice in the matter!
Child sexual predators on the move again.
“…censorship grows out of fear (often disguised as moral outrage); fear is contagious and some parents are easily swayed…”
lack of ability to reason at all seems to be the base of your moniker. Not allowing certain books to certain age children when the subject matter is not age and development appropriate is rational.
You obviously have not children or don’t care much about what they learn and when they learn it.
“…Book banning satisfies the parents need to feel in control of their children’s lives. They want to believe that if their children don’t read about it, their children won’t know about it. And if they don’t know about it, it won’t happen.”
I have no issue with books being in public library. I do not believe they are appropriate for public schools
I think some books need to have an age restriction on them.
Very good description of many of the books: “Salacious.” Why the heck is this a debate? Sexually explicit — salacious — books are NOT appropriate for public school libraries, but the American Library Association has corrupted public and school library systems–all in the name of “freedom.” Freedom also requires responsibility and accountability to those who are paying your salary, for heaven’s sake! Go buy your own salacious books from Amazon, give them to your own kids if you want them exposed to that. You do not have the right to expose other people’s kids to books/images that offend their morality and family values. Case closed.
It’s not a school library. It’s a public library. The fact that you missed that in the article is a reason your opinion shouldn’t count with regards what books other people read.
and the books are paid for by the PEOPLE and chosen by the librarians supposedly for age and subject appropriateness as well as having moral value to society.
Therein lies the rub. You seem to believe that any book is acceptable to have the public support and purchase and place on a children’s shelf. This is not true and never has been. In fact, CPS can intervene even with parents when such grooming materials are used at home.
What are the 17 books?
This sums it up:
“It’s not our job to burn this thing to the ground to prevent kids from reading what these people are reading,” Arno said, per CBS 7 News. “It’s the parents’ job to know what their kids are into.”
The world is not here to raise your kids.
Well said!
Yes, this is true, however the parents do have the right to tell the library when they have gone to far. It is their tax dollars that pay for the salaries, the operation and the books. They can say NO.
Librarians and teachers all grooming children to become sexual fodder for liberal ideologies.
If the parents want them to read this stuff, and gave it to them most likely CPS would be there to arrest the parents. Enough said?
Hey, idea, send CPS to arrest the librarians for giving pornography to children, especially pornography designed to groom them.