(NEW YORK)—PEN America today joins 33 major publishers and national library and literary advocacy groups denouncing directives from the Tennessee Secretary of State warning public libraries to review their collections for “age-appropriateness” and consistency with President Trump’s executive order on gender identity.
Among the groups are the American Library Association, Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, GLAAD, the National Coalition Against Censorship, Lambda Literary, We Need Diverse Books, American Booksellers for Free Expression, Every Library, Authors Against Book Bans, and the Freedom to Read Project.
The organizations and publishers wrote a letter to TN Secretary of State Tre Hargett saying his directives to 211 public libraries were unreasonably burdensome and would cost libraries time and significant financial resources. The letter states: “Reviewing every title requires a huge amount of resources. When an Indiana public library adopted a similar “age appropriate” review process, it was estimated that the project could cost the county’s taxpayers $300,000.”
Secretary Hargett sent a letter in September warning all state libraries to comply with “state and federal laws and regulations” as recipients of grant funds. The letter stated that President Trump’s Executive Order on “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” prohibits the use of federal funds “to promote gender ideology.” In a subsequent letter in October, the Secretary called for each library to “undertake an immediate age-appropriateness review” and identify any materials that may be inconsistent with President Trump’s Executive Order as well as other applicable state and federal laws.
The letter from the organizations and publishers raised legal risks associated with the directive, noting that “it is illegal to remove books from public libraries because some people do not like them,” and that the presidential executive order is “not legislation.” The letter further states that the Secretary’s mandate “creates an enormous administrative burden for ends that may ultimately be found unconstitutional. In this unsettled legal environment, requiring Tennessee’s public libraries to conduct exhaustive content reviews not only risks violating the law but also wastes taxpayer money on unnecessary processes that may soon be invalidated.”
The letter urges the Secretary to “clarify” his directive “so that librarians can return their full attention to their essential work: connecting Tennesseans to knowledge, culture, and one another.” The joint letter calls upon the state to “support—not hinder—the fundamental freedoms of expression and access to information for all, which define a library’s purpose.”
Library Audit Directive is First Ever in Tennessee Related to a Political Issue
EveryLibrary’s Executive Director John Chrastka said: “This is the first time in Tennessee history that public libraries have been directed to audit their shelves based on a political directive. President Trump’s Executive Order 14168 prohibits federal agencies from funding activities that “promote gender ideology extremism” but does not apply to states. The TN Secretary of State is choosing to interpret the EO as a justification for pressuring local public libraries to review or remove books.”
PEN America’s Freedom to Read Program Director Kasey Meehan said: “While Executive Orders have no legal jurisdiction over state-run public libraries, with little to no pressure, some state officials have caved. Overcomplying to adhere to politically-motivated censorship continues to communicate to the general public that some stories are not worthy of being on shelves, perpetuating fearmongering and the erasure of marginalized communities’ stories.”
Christina Soontornvat, an award-winning, bestselling author, TN state leader of Authors Against Book Bans, and a parent, said: “Secretary of State Hargett has sowed fear and confusion throughout Tennessee’s public library system with the demands in his letter. Pressuring libraries to bow to his interpretation of what constitutes “age appropriateness” and remove books from the shelves en masse tramples on the constitutional rights of Tennesseans. As schools close for holidays, we need our libraries and librarians now more than ever, focusing on what’s most important – helping young people access books and strengthen their literacy skills.”
Rutherford County Library Alliance said: “We have seen firsthand the concrete harm of the Secretary’s directives – library closures during story time, intimidation of professional librarians, and the breakdown of democratic representation in our public library system. We hope Secretary Hargett will fulfill their duty to promote library development by supporting our constitutionally-guaranteed rights and our highly trained librarians, rather than enabling censorship from 0.001% of our community for 100% of our community.”
Several libraries in Tennessee already closed in November to review their inventory, mainly the Rutherford County Library System and Linebaugh Public Library.
Take Action to Support the Freedom to Read
Get involved with the fight for the freedom to read in Tennessee. Show up at local library board meetings and school district meetings. Urge officials to follow their policies and trust local control. Follow Tennessee Freedom to Read Project and check out the Rutherford County Library Alliance. On December 1, your help is needed to stop book bans and protect the right to read in Tennessee libraries.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057