US public libraries at ‘breaking point’ amid ideological attacks, report finds

Public libraries across the United States are facing a critical situation due to political interference, harassment, and ideological censorship, according to a new study by PEN America. The report, titled "Out of Circulation: Expanding Censorship in Public Libraries," highlights the challenges these institutions are grappling with as they struggle to remain democratic and accessible to all.

The study documents numerous instances of verbal and physical attacks on librarians, book bans, funding cuts, and the undermining of libraries' independent governance. These issues are causing public libraries to reach a breaking point. The report argues that libraries can only serve as foundational democratic institutions if they can speak to everyone and if librarians' curation decisions can occur free from political pressure or restriction.

Examples of such attacks include physical and verbal assaults on librarians, disproportionate targeting of LGBTQ+ literature, and a rise in book bans, particularly targeting books dealing with gender identity and sexuality. In one case, a conservative activist named Riley Gaines was appointed to a library board in Tennessee, where she used her position to oppose the removal of books deemed inappropriate, including those with transgender themes.

The report also points to legislative efforts in states like Idaho and Alabama that would allow city councils and local governments to control library directors and board members, respectively. Additionally, the report highlights the targeting of drag shows at public libraries, citing instances of bomb threats, protests, and physical assaults on librarians at libraries in New York, Massachusetts, and Nevada.

The study found that almost 23,000 book bans occurred in school libraries since 2021, with 51% of all book bans nationwide targeting public libraries. The American Library Association documented these incidents. Among the banned materials are books such as "butt and fart" books objected to for their depictions of the human body and its development.

Despite a Texas appeals court ruling that public schools and libraries cannot ban books based solely on disagreement with their content, a library head librarian in Llano county was fired for insubordination when she refused to remove books from a list provided by her boss.

PEN America asserts that these censorship efforts reflect a politically driven trend to control access to literature and ideas. The organization's Freedom to Read director, Kasey Meehan, emphasized the importance of libraries as safe havens for freedom of reading and the denial of access to stories and information to communities when libraries become targets.

The report also notes the connection between censorship in schools and public libraries, with the same arguments used to restrict literature in schools now being applied to public libraries. PEN America warns that these attacks not only rob library users of vital public services and access to books but also undermine the sense of belonging to a community.

However, the report also showcases the resilience of communities in resisting censorship efforts. For instance, in Florida's recent primary elections, several candidates affiliated with Moms for Liberty lost their seats or failed to win their races, and the conservative group lost its majority on the Sarasota school board.