Library funding is increasingly being used as a form of control

More and more often now, book battles are playing out in state — and local — budgets.

NPR recently reported on several states (and even districts) in which library financing has been put on the ballot ... or, in some cases, in the hands of elected officials.

In most cases — like Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas — this is because of concerns over objectionable material being available.

But in a few instances, such as in Illinois and Connecticut, proposals are being made to encourage free access to material, rather than the other way around.

For its part, the American Library Association says it would rather not have any such strings attached to material selection, period. (A stance we think most readers would support!)

Read about the increased risk of library funding changing based on book selection on NPR's website.

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