School Librarians Say “No” on H.R.5

Please vote NO on H.R. 5, the so-called “Parents Bill of Rights Act.” While the title might sound good, librarians and their allies know not to judge a book by its cover. H.R. 5 would open the door to more book bans targeting local school libraries. Specifically, it would require schools that receive federal funding to give parents a list of books in their child’s school library and create a process for parents to view them on request. I firmly believe that parents should be able to know what is in their kid’s school library, and it is already standard local practice; if a parent wants to learn more about the school library, they can ask. We don’t need a federal regulation for this. Any time legislation threatens to expand censorship, library advocates will stand up to oppose it. Thank you.