The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 20, 2026

Among the week's headlines: why a library leader is running for public office in Connecticut; the GOP's nationwide book banning bill passes out of committee; a Tennessee library director makes a brave stand against book bans; and a major publisher pulls a book said to be created with AI.

Run for Something!

A few weeks ago we wrote about librarian and freedom to read advocate Leila Green Little, who is running for local office in Llano County, Texas, to unseat one of the animating figures behind the effort to ban books from the Llano County public library. This week comes news from Connecticut another librarian, Connecticut Library Consortium Executive Director Ellen Paul, is running for the state legislature.

As a librarian, Ellen Paul certainly knows about public service. And she also knows how to lead. In 2025, Paul worked across the aisle to help get two laws passed in Connecticut: a library ebook bill and a freedom to read bill, a remarkable achievement. (Check out our interview with Paul from last May).

"I made this decision in a flash of lighting a few Saturdays ago in January. I couldn't just advocate for libraries anymore. It's not enough. When the world is on fire, it's just not enough," Paul wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing her candidacy. "You know that I'm a librarian. And I know that libraries aren't the typical route to public office. But I became a librarian because facts matter. An informed electorate matters. Access to opportunities for all matters. And to be a librarian today is to wake up every day to protect our First Amendment freedoms—to speak, to read, to think. These aren't abstract ideas. They are the foundations of democracy. And they are worth fighting for."

Paul, Connecticut Republican State Senator Tony Hwang, and Connecticut State Librarian Deborah Scander celebrate the passage of Connecticut's library ebook bill, SB 1234, which Hwang championed. The bill passed the Connecticut Senate by a 35-1 margin. (Photo courtesy of the Connecticut Senate Republicans).

In her post, Paul acknowledges her campaign won't be easy: the CT 55th has been represented by a Republican for over 40 years, she notes. But, she writes, it's worth a shot.

In addition to Leila Green Little in Texas, Paul joins Iris Halpern, a lawyer who has successfully represented several librarians fired over book bans who is running for office in Colorado, and follows in the footsteps of librarians like Conneaut Public Library executive director and former ARSL president Kathy Zappitello, who ran for office in Ohio in 2022.

Republican or Democrat, the world needs leaders who hold library values right now. So best of luck to Ellen Paul, and here's to more librarians standing for local office this November.

House GOP Advances 'Dangerous' Censorship Bill

Critics are speaking out after the House Committee on Education and Workforce advanced H.R. 7661, a pernicious national book banning bill introduced in the wake of President Trump's State of the Union address. The bill seeks to block federal funding for schools that refuse to ban so-called "sexually explicit" material.

"ALA is disappointed that the Committee on Education and Workforce is pressing forward with this sweeping attempt to stifle students’ education and steal funds from the nation’s schools," said American Library Association president Sam Helmick, in a statement. "H.R. 7661 should not become the law of the land in a nation where people value civil rights and oppose government censorship." ALA is urging advocates to call their reps to oppose the bill, and said resources for local organizing are also available through Unite Against Book Bans.

PEN America also issued a statement, calling the bill "an affront to local control of schools" and a blatant attack on the LGBTQ+ community. “This bill devalues contemporary works, treats kindergartners the same way as high schoolers, and simultaneously dehumanizes and erases the trans community from public education," said Ian Schwab, director, Government Affairs and Strategy at PEN America.

Library Director Takes a Stand as Tennessee Library Board Orders Some 190 Books Moved, Ditches ALA Code of Ethics

Via the MTSU Sidelines, the Rutherford County Library System board this week voted to move more than 190 books in the county's public libraries to the adult sections following a statewide review of library collections ordered by Tennessee’s Secretary of State Tre Hargett last fall. And that's not all. "During the meeting, the board also voted to remove the guidelines and code of ethics associated with the American Library Association," the article states.

But in an extraordinary act, local affiliate WKRN reports that the library's director, Luanne James, is refusing the order to relocate the books. "In an email to board members, James said she is 'ethically bound' to uphold the First Amendment," the report notes, adding that her brave stand likely puts her job in jeopardy. "A special meeting has been scheduled for March 30, where board members are expected to formally address the director’s refusal and determine next steps."

Support Builds for Massachusetts Freedom to Read Bill

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that a freedom-to-read bill in Massachusetts is garnering broad support. "The bill, An Act Regarding Free Expression, cleared the state Senate last November, and is now before the House Committee on Ways and Means for review," the article notes. "The bill would allow parents and community members to continue questioning books in collections, as long as the concern is about the material as a whole rather than just portions of it, and as long as it is not due to political, personal or religious reasons."

Utah Bans Its 28th Book from School Libraries Under New State Law (and It's a Familiar Name)

In what's predictably become a recurring item in the news, The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Utah has banned another book, its 28th, under a controversial new state law that requires schools across the state to pull a book if three other school districts find the book to be inappropriate. "John Green’s debut novel Looking for Alaska is the latest addition to Utah’s growing list of titles banned from all public schools in the state," the Trib reports.

Under S.B. 13, Texas School Bans the Obamas, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush

In the wake of S.B. 13, Texas's new law governing school library collections, PEN America this week reports that the New Braunfels ISD has "removed, restricted, or aged-up" more than 600 books from its high schools, 800 books from middle schools, and about 60 titles from elementary school libraries, including books by three former presidents. The lists were obtained through public information requests by the Texas Freedom to Read Project, and reportedly reveal "a chaotic review process" in the district.

Alabama Public Library Service Wants to Hire Someone to Help Libraries Understand its Vague Book Ban Rules

The Alabama Reflector reports that the state's Public Library Service Board is looking to create a position to help librarians around the state comply with the board's vague new content restrictions, after libarians reported that the new policies are costing them too much time and money. "Changes to state library regulations over the past two years have created confusion among Alabama libraries," the Reflector reports.

Meanwhile, the Alabama Political Reporter this week writes that APLS chairman John Wahl has weighed in on a legal dispute over an Alabama library's decision to bar a right-wing religious group from using its meeting rooms. "Wahl said the issue is not about any single group but about the broader effect on constitutional rights," the report states. Isn't it strange how Wahl can correctly see the constitutional issue in the meeting rooms dispute, but not with the removal of books?

South Carolina Library Board Votes to Reinstate Book Screening Policy

In South Carolina, The Post and Courier reports on the latest twist at the Pickens County Library System, where the board has once again voted to implement a policy to screen for allegedly inappropriate books. "When the board approved the collection policy changes, library leadership directed staff to review each of the 86,000 items in the children’s and teen sections for compliance with the overhauled policy. Events were canceled, interlibrary loans were paused, and staff began reviewing those sections," the report notes. In addition, the library's director was summarily fired.

Iowa Library Cancels Middle School Book Club After Parent Backlash

Iowa Public Radio reports that a middle school book club event at the Bondurant Community Library in Iowa was canceled after some in the community objected to the club's selection: This Book Is Gay, by Juno Dawson. "In an email to IPR, Bondurant Library Board of Trustees President Joshua Bryant said the cancellation was due to 'safety concerns' for library patrons and staff." The outlet reports that Bondurant Mayor Doug Elrod voiced his disapproval of the book's inclusion at a packed meeting on March 16. But Chad Driscoll, Bondurant’s mayor pro tem and a city council member, pointed out a key fact: the book selections for the book club "are chosen by participants, not library staff."

Three New Books that Center the Freedom to Read

Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen leads off her weekly censorship news column by highlighting three new book releases that explore book banning. "The three books are entirely different in tone, topic, and scope, but together, they present a holistic and honest look at America’s historic and contemporary engagement in book banning," Jensen writes. "They also provide something that so many of us need right now: hope."

A Book Banning Bill Dies in Florida, Again

Florida Politics reports that H.B. 1119, a Florida state bill that sought to ban public schools from considering a book’s literary, artistic, political or scientific value when deciding whether to remove it, has died in the legislature. "The bill’s failure to pass during the regular legislative session is great news for students’ First Amendment rights,” said Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Director of Public Advocacy Aaron Terr in a statement.

Dallas Loves Their Libraries, Opposes Plan to Trim Branches

Local affiliate KDAF reports on some pretty solid results from a recent library survey in Dallas: "More than 4,000 residents participated in a Dallas Public Library survey between Feb. 13 and March 1, with 99% of respondents stating the city’s libraries are important to them," the reports states. "Survey data indicated that 85% of respondents use Dallas Public Library services at least once a month. While 99% of those surveyed said the libraries are important to them, 94% described the system as 'very important' to their lives."

Meanwhile, as KERA reports, the survey comes as the library explores a plan to repurpose funds and to close four branches in response to a potential $2.6 million budget cut. "Out of the respondents, 72% opposed closing the four library branches in exchange for more hours and programs at five flagships," the article states.

ComicsPlus Is Acquired, Merged with Beanstack

LibraryPass announced this week that its popular Comics Plus service is joining forces with Beanstack as part of The Joyful Reading Company. In a post, LibraryPass CEO Ian Singer wrote that Comics Plus "will continue to do what we do best: provide your community with unlimited, simultaneous access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, manga, and picture books," adding the new venture will remain committed to "equitable access to books at a price that doesn’t hurt your bottom line."

And Finally This Week...

A super interesting story in the New York Times about the uneasy AI future facing publishers and authors, after Big Five publisher Hachette this week conceded that a book, Shy Girl, published in the U.K. and set to be published in the U.S., appeared to be largely created by AI.

"The stunning fact that Shy Girl got so far into the editorial process, and was even released in the U.K. before publishers thoroughly investigated the claims of A.I. use, is a sign of how unprepared many in the book world are to deal with the rise of A.I.," writes Alexandra Alter.