Montgomery County approves new citizen book review policy for public libraries

Montgomery County commissioners moved forward March 26 on a new policy setting up a citizen-based review board for library books within the Montgomery County Memorial Library System in a contentious 3-1 vote.

The framework

The current committee is composed of five citizens appointed by the county judge and commissioners for four-year terms. Books within the county library system will be able to be submitted for review before the committee by library users. Under the new policy, any cardholder of the Montgomery County Memorial Library System will be able to submit a book for review.

The proposed process for the book review would take approximately one month to complete, and the meetings would be closed to the public, according to the policy.

If the committee deems a book as “not suitable” for children or young adults, the library will be required to either remove the books from circulation or restrict checkout by minors.

How we got here

The move follows a number of library restriction policies implemented by both the county and local school districts.

In July, county commissioners approved a new agreement with a vendor to put more conservative books in circulation at county libraries. On March 19, Conroe ISD also updated the policy for their book review committee to provide more reasoning behind decisions made by the board.

What they’re saying

• “This policy most certainly ensures that these books that were so lovingly given in the spirit of fostering love, acceptance and kindness will be pulled from the shelves and banished to the shadows by a few loud voices among us that decide they are harmful,” said Rachel Walker, chair of community outreach for The Woodlands Pride, during the March 26 Commissioners Court meeting. “The library is a community resource, and the books on the shelves are supposed to represent the community.”
• “Beliefs and values have been sweeping across our nation, influencing minor children whose prefrontal cortex is not developed, with sexually explicit and transgender ideology content in our library. This is contrary to our nation's founding principles and values,” Montgomery County resident Alex Harris said during the meeting. “Creating the citizens review committee is an excellent step forward to review our materials accessible to minors, and decide if it meets the Montgomery County standards and values.”
• “Nowhere are we talking about banning any books,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Walker said during the meeting. “The whole goal of this mission from the first time we addressed this issue was to put these books where the adults would have to get them for their kids, not where the kids could walk up and pick up books right in front of them at their height, their level.”

Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley was the only Commissioners Court member to vote against the policy, citing a desire for additional clarification on the duties and process for the committee. The current advisory committee will begin accepting review requests immediate regarding content, however an annual list of all decisions made will be presented to the County Judge's office by June 30 of each calendar year.

*Editor's Note: Story edited to clarify the citizens committee is already in existence prior to the policy change.