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Texas Challenged Books
In late 2021, Texas gained national attention for efforts at the state and local level to investigate what books were held in libraries' collections. This guide explores the context of what happened, resources on the topic, and how one can participate.
Be Informed - News Articles
- How K-12 book bans affect higher educationFeb. 10, 2022, article from Inside Higher Ed
- Banned: Books on race and sexuality are disappearing from Texas schools in record numbersFeb. 2, 2022 article from NBC News
- Some school librarians fed up with book bans are organizing and fighting backDec. 22, 2021 article from CNN
- Push to ban books in Texas schools spreads to public librariesDec. 20, 2021 article from The Texas Tribune
- These are the books most challenged by Texas school districtsDec. 17, 2021 article from The Houston Chronicle
- Texas’s Fight Over School BooksDec. 15, 2021 article from The New York Times
- Group of renowned Texas authors pens open letter to Abbott condemning banned book listNov. 11, 2021 report from The Texas Standard
- Librarians Fight Book Bans With Twitter TakeoverNov. 11, 2021 article from EdSurge
Be Informed - Columns and Opinion Pieces
- A Texas School District Banned My Book. Then Things Got Really Ugly.Dec. 2, 2021, column from The Texas Monthly
- A Texas book ban is an attack on the freedom to learnAug. 24, 2021 Commentary from ifex.org
Contact Texas Governing Bodies
- Texas Education AgencyIncludes information for teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Includes publications, data, law, and on-line access to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
- Office of the Governor of TexasThe web site of the Office of the Governor of Texas. Includes over 4,000 pages of information and links to other Texas government sites.
- Texas Legislature Online (TLO)Information from both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. Includes information on bills and on various committees.
Contact Texas Organizations
- Texas Library Association Advocacy ToolsTLA has thousands of members from school, public, academic, and special libraries, as well as countless lay supporters, parents, educators, and business partners who promote library issues. Additionally, all types of libraries enjoy enormous local support from parent groups, the local community, student organizations, and countless other stakeholders who join in statewide efforts to strengthen libraries. With libraries – school, academic, public, or special – located in almost every political jurisdiction in the state, the grassroots support for libraries is broad and deep.
- Texas Library Political Action CommitteeThe Texas Library Political Action Committee is a nonprofit, unincorporated, voluntary, multi-partisan political action committee organized for the purpose of advancing library service in Texas.