A Small-Town Texas Librarian’s Big Stand Against Book Bans - In Llano County, a local librarian fought back against censorship, prompting a federal court fight and national recognition but losing the job of her dreams.

https://prospect.org/education/2024-06-24-small-town-texas-librarian-book-bans/

https://archive.ph/eusGB

A Small-Town Texas Librarian’s Big Stand Against Book Bans​

In Llano County, a local librarian fought back against censorship, prompting a federal court fight and national recognition but losing the job of her dreams.​

by Lise Olsen
June 24, 2024


People encouraged the reading of banned books as MoveOn’s “Banned Bookmobile” made its first stop on a multistate tour last summer, July 13, 2023, in Chicago.

Suzette Baker, from unincorporated Kingsland, was feted recently by the Authors Guild in New York City as a “Champion of Writers”—the first-ever recipient of a national award established to honor librarians who fight book bans.

In 2022, she was fired from her job as a Llano County librarian after resisting orders to ban books and protesting against censorship. In response to Baker’s story, a local mom named Leila Leah Green and other library patrons filed a federal lawsuit, supported by the Author’s Guild. In 2023, they won a court order that forced county officials to restore eight of the 17 titles that had been removed from library shelves.

“Baker’s brave defense of her community’s right to read is a testament to the vital role librarians play in upholding free speech and creative expression in the face of censorship,” said Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild, the nation’s oldest and largest writers organization.

Baker continues to fight for freedom of expression and is pursuing her own wrongful termination lawsuit against the Llano County officials. Still, in some ways, Baker, a mother of five and grandmother of two, would rather still be working in the Kingsland Branch Library, assembling quirky displays, recommending books, and helping adults and kids access the internet. Being a small-town librarian was her dream job. The Observer spoke to her about books and censorship.

Texas Observer: The lawsuit you filed in 2024 tells how you got fired. It started with something so simple: putting up a display in your branch library. Did you know at the time the display could get you in trouble?

Suzette Baker: No, that’s the funny part! So we had a marquee, and I was always putting up funny little signs. That was just a constant thing. And I put little quirky things on the billboard outside, and it brought people into the library. … And so after the Tennessee burning of the Harry Potter books by the minister in 2022 [which was live-streamed], I decided to put a sign on the marquee, which said: “We put the Lit in literature,” a pun. And then, on the inside, “Check out our lit books” or something like that next to a display of the most commonly challenged books.

Some of the books were ones that you’d been ordered to remove from the collection, right?

The books included some on a list that Bonnie Wallace [a member of the Llano County library advisory board] had sent us. I put that all onto the display because if people are telling you that you shouldn’t read this, the first thing you think of should be: “Well, why not? What is their motivation behind this? And is it true?” And everything on the list that [Wallace] sent me as quote-unquote “pornographic” was not pornographic in the least bit. It just isn’t.

So I put it on there for people to see, and I had sent a screenshot to Amber Millum, who was the [Llano County system] library director and she sent me a text back: “Hahahaha awesome.”

And then the next day, Amber Millum called me up. She said, “You’ve got to take it down.”

So obviously someone had called her in between?

Oh, yeah. Somebody yanked her chain and made her do it.

So I know that earlier this year you filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Llano County, saying you were fired for fighting censorship. The county claims you were fired for insubordination. Did you refuse to take down the display?

I did not refuse to take that one down. All I did was change the title … to something like “Smoking hot books” or something. And I had a picture on it of Joseph Goebbels [Hitler’s propaganda minister] burning books in Berlin.

I altered what I called the display, but I didn’t take the books off it.

It was on a red shelf that we put all these displays on. Easter books at Easter time and patriotic books for 4th of July, Memorial Day. It went through the seasons. Romances are up there for Valentine’s Day and mysteries maybe in the summertime. … So it, you know, it could pivot. So it was a continuously revolving display.

Did you put the Llano County proposed list of banned books on that display?
I didn’t have the list up there. The list was behind the desk. I had just taken books off that list and put them up there.

A lot of the so-called insubordination was things like, my boss sent us the [book ban] list, and I sent her back a link to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom [with information] on what censorship is and how to fight it.

What does getting this award mean to you? I mean, this is the Authors Guild and you’re being feted at a gala in New York City. It’s a big deal!

It’s beyond anything that I can imagine. But it’s a double-edged sword. You know, this is amazing and phenomenal. And it’s something that I would never have even considered happening in my lifetime. But it happened because of a bad thing that happened to me. So you know it’s kind of good and bad.

I know that a lot of the Texas librarians have really tried hard to fight against censorship, but I believe you’re the only one who has been fired over it, right?

As of right now, I’m the only one that’s been fired over it, but I’m kind of the litmus test for this group. How far they can push their local government. So it’s important that we fight back as hard as we can. … If they get away with this, then they’re just going to clean house in libraries in Texas.

Have you gotten recognition from your fellow librarians?

Oh, yes, after this happened, we were supposed to go to the Texas Library Association conference as a library group, and they pulled the plug on that for us. And so I decided that after I got fired, that I’m going to go anyway. So I went to the TLA not as a librarian, but just as a person. And when I walked into a room they all knew who I was, which still to this day, it’s just overwhelming, the amount of support that I’ve got from those people, my fellow librarians, it was just amazing.

I read some sad news about your own library in a recent Austin American-Statesman story. Kingsland is one of only three county branch libraries and its hours have gone down and they have not replaced you. Is that still the case?

Yes, it is, unfortunately. They have cut out two of the children’s programs. It’s falling behind. [The Llano County library] lost its accreditation. It’s on probation … so you can’t go in the library anymore and order a book from another library. It’s just. It’s sad.

It’s not open on weekends and it’s not open past 5:30. So anybody who has a job can’t go. … I mean, they can sit outside in 100-plus degree weather and get on the free Wifi, but that’s it.

You told me you’re working 45-50 hours a week at a hardware store now to pay the bills. And you’re still taking care of your adult disabled son. Is working at another library just not a possibility?

There’s only the Llano County public library. And then there’s the Burnet public library, which is in the county next door. And they’re not going to hire me. … I don’t wanna leave here. But might end up having to, because I’m not going to find a decent job here. But I’m trying to fight it out as long as I can.

---

here are the ten books they were handing out last year (A)

• “The 1619 Project: Born on the Water” – Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson
• “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” – George M. Johnson
• “And Tango Makes Three” – Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• “The Bluest Eye” – Toni Morrison
• “Gender Queer: A Memoir” – Maia Kobabe
• “The Hill We Climb” – Amanda Gorman
• “I Am Jazz” – Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel
• “Looking for Alaska” – John Green
• “Maus” – Art Spiegelman
• “Out of Darkness” – Ashley Hope Pérez

and as a fun bonus i've found a group picture. please feel free to nootice the bulk of the people who are pushing tranny shit on your children (hint: it's white women. it's always white women)

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

Did you refuse to take down the display?

I did not refuse to take that one down. All I did was change the title … to something like “Smoking hot books” or something. And I had a picture on it of Joseph Goebbels [Hitler’s propaganda minister] burning books in Berlin.

I altered what I called the display, but I didn’t take the books off it.

Did you put the Llano County proposed list of banned books on that display?
I didn’t have the list up there. The list was behind the desk. I had just taken books off that list and put them up there.

"I didn't refuse to remove the display. I just did not take it down and instead changed it."
"I didn't put up the actual list of banned books but I put the books I was told not to have in the library somewhere where they were prominently promoted."
Rock solid arguments there.

 

[Diesel Boogaloo]

“Gender Queer: A Memoir” – Maia Kobabe

If you want to know what it's about, here's a relatively based gay guy looking through it and few other banned books (Gender Queer starts at 21:52):

TL;DW: It's porn.

EDIT: No other book in OP's list are in the video, so I can't say anything about them.

 

[Verdun_Salient]

Okay... whatever you say!
View attachment 6402132

Off topic, anyone who unironically likes that book is braindead, it is a miserable slog to read

 

[ZazietheBeast]

You know, there was a time I trusted libraries. But with pozzed shit like this, building your own may be the better option. Digitally and physically.

When SJWs encourage you to "read banned books", they really mean "read woke books" and not the "wrongthinker" books they want to ban.

Speaking of which, we do have a thread on those types of books. Indoctrination material for kids and toddlers

And of course, straight from the horse's mouth. Yes, the website unironically uses Social Justice as a term. Despite all the negative baggage it carries. This is also why people should go out of their way to make fun of leftoids and call them all types of creatively derisive names.

 

[Shao Khan]

Get the fuck out of public spaces You groomer whore

 

[gmax alcremie]

Isn't this a city library though, not an in-school library? It's overreaching to ban books from city libraries. Just don't display them in the kids section

 

[BulkForceFive]

Off topic, anyone who unironically likes that book is braindead, it is a miserable slog to read

Yes, and Camp of the Saints isn't actually that great either (unless you like doomporn) but I would rather chew through 200 pages of lowbrow niggerdeath fantasy than 50 pages of those gay books in her little list.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

I too approve people read The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

While we're at it, let's add Dr. Seuss, Colin Flaherty's "White Girl bleed a lot", Camp of the Saints or any book written by "Paul Kersey" (the guy who maintain the blog SBPDL) to the list.

 

[General Emílio Médici]

Off topic, anyone who unironically likes that book is braindead, it is a miserable slog to read

I have heard that the other book about TND that the dude wrote is a lot better, it being a series in fact instead of a single book.

Maybe it is just me with brainrot after decades of glownigger infestations but Turner Diaries feels like bait. Compared to a lot of boog fantasy and 2nd civil war porn the style of it feels a bit... off. The thing starts already way too advanced in the plot with guns having been banned and weaponized nigger squads doing the enforcement of the anti-gun law which is insane. The book came out in the late 70's and is meant to be set in the near future but no attempt is made to explain how this happened at all.

Then there are the other stuff that goes on, such as how the rebels behave themselves which comes off as straight up bait. Like how they constantly purity spiral about doing even more Total Nigger Death and the killing of white traitors taking precedence over actual objectives. A lot of shit talking about how it had a "bomb recipe guide" was made but ANFO is piss easy to make.

It almost makes me think it was meant as a way to sabotage white supremacists. Would explain how Harold Covington was able to keep himself out of trouble.

His other book series about the secessionists/separatists however had a lot more thought from what I hear. Things are planned for years, the rebellion actually practices things and the government is not comically evil jewish niggers, the actual civil war is caused by some bullshit that catches everyone by surprise, and more. I should look into reading it sometime.

 

[Diana Moon Glampers]

BRB, mailing copies of Abigail Shrier and Steve Sailer books to this library immediately for their totally apolitical, just shining a light on banned books display.

 

[Larry David's Opera Cape]

Bluest Eye is not "the book that doesn't fit with the others on that list." It's perverted, anti-white, misandrist garbage. The only reason anyone pretends Toni Morrison's books are good is because they are scared to death of losing status among the kind of herdbrained AWFLs who need one black pet and one gay pet at all times to feel cool.

The Bluest Eye, published in 1970, is the first novel written by Toni Morrison. The novel takes place in Lorain, Ohio (Morrison's hometown), and tells the story of a young African-American girl named Pecola who grew up following the Great Depression. Set in 1941, the story is about how she is consistently regarded as "ugly" due to her mannerisms and dark skin. As a result, she develops an inferiority complex, which fuels her desire for the blue eyes she equates with "whiteness".

The novel is told mostly from Claudia MacTeer's point of view. Claudia is the daughter of Pecola's temporary foster parents. There is also some omniscient third-person narration. The book's controversial topics of racism, incest, and child molestation have led to numerous attempts to ban the novel from schools and libraries in the United States.[1]

The following passage is from the scene where Cholly, Pecola’s father, rapes her. The is one of the scenes that is sited in challenges we came across in our research the most often.

The tenderness welled up in him, and he sank to his knees, his eyes on the foot of his daughter. Crawling on all fours toward her, he raised his hand and caught the foot in an upward stroke. Pecola lost her balance and was about to careen to the floor. Cholly raised his other hand to her hips to save her from falling. He put his head down and nibbled at the back of her leg. His mouth trembled at the firm sweetness of the flesh. He closed his eyes, letting his fingers dig into her waist. The rigidness of her shocked body, the silence of her stunned throat, was better than Pauline’s easy laughter had been. The confused mixture of his memories of Pauline and the doing of a wild and forbidden thing excited him, and a bolt of desire ran down his genitals, giving it length, and softening the lips of his anus. Surrounding all of this lust was a border of politeness. He wanted to fuck her – tenderly. But the tenderness would not hold. The tightness of her vagina was more than he could bear. His soul seemed to slip down to his guts and fly out into her, and the gigantic thrust he made into her then provoked the only sound she made – a hollow suck of air in the back of her throat. Like the rapid loss of air from a circus balloon. Following the disintegration – the falling away – of sexual desire, he was conscious of her wet, soapy hands on his wrists, the fingers clenching, but whether her grip was from a hopeless but stubborn struggle to be free, or from some other emotion, he could not tell. Removing himself from her was so painful to him he cut it short and snatched his genitals out of the dry harbor of her vagina. She appeared to have fainted. Cholly stood up and could see only her grayish panties, so sad and limp around her ankles. Again the hatred mixed with tenderness. The hatred would not let him pick her up, the tenderness forced him to cover her. So when the child regained consciousness, she was lying on the kitchen floor under a heavy quilt, trying to connect the pain between her legs with the face of her mother looming over her. (162-163)

Soaphead Church is a self-declared “Reader, Advisor, and Interpreter of Dreams” who Pecola asks to give her blue eyes. He is also a pedophile. This has made a lot of people who have challenged The Bluest Eye uncomfortable, so we felt him to be worth mentioning here.

He could have been an active homosexual but lacked the courage. Bestiality did not occur to him, and sodomy was quite out of the question, for he did not experience sustained erections and could not endure the thought of somebody else’s. And besides, the one thing that disgusted him more than entering and caressing a woman was caressing and being caressed by a man. In any case, his cravings, although intense, never relished physical contact. He abhorred flesh on flesh. Body odor, breath odor, overwhelmed him. The sight of dried matter in the corner of the eye, decayed or missing teeth, ear wax, blackheads, moles, blisters, skin crusts – all the natural excretions and protections the body was capable of – disquieted him. His attentions therefore gradually settled on those humans whose bodies were least offensive – children. And since he was too diffident to confront homosexuality, and since little boys were insulting, scary, and stubborn, he further limited his interests to little girls. His sexuality was anything but lewd; his patronage of little girls smacked of innocence and was associated in his mind with cleanliness. He was what one might call a very clean old man. (166-167)

 

[Troonos]

None of these books are banned, you retarded cunt.

 

[LaxerBRO]

I have heard that the other book about TND that the dude wrote is a lot better, it being a series in fact instead of a single book.

Maybe it is just me with brainrot after decades of glownigger infestations but Turner Diaries feels like bait. Compared to a lot of boog fantasy and 2nd civil war porn the style of it feels a bit... off. The thing starts already way too advanced in the plot with guns having been banned and weaponized nigger squads doing the enforcement of the anti-gun law which is insane. The book came out in the late 70's and is meant to be set in the near future but no attempt is made to explain how this happened at all.

Then there are the other stuff that goes on, such as how the rebels behave themselves which comes off as straight up bait. Like how they constantly purity spiral about doing even more Total Nigger Death and the killing of white traitors taking precedence over actual objectives. A lot of shit talking about how it had a "bomb recipe guide" was made but ANFO is piss easy to make.

It almost makes me think it was meant as a way to sabotage white supremacists. Would explain how Harold Covington was able to keep himself out of trouble.

His other book series about the secessionists/separatists however had a lot more thought from what I hear. Things are planned for years, the rebellion actually practices things and the government is not comically evil jewish niggers, the actual civil war is caused by some bullshit that catches everyone by surprise, and more. I should look into reading it sometime.

This is how I view the The Turner Diaries:

The "ending" is where their is a worldwide nuclear Holocaust and the White people have emerged from their bunkers and rebuilt the world into a white society (after purging non white survivors). Honestly, it make the author seem deranged.

 

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

Books shouldn’t be banned at all. I hate this feigned moral righteousness both the left and the right perform under the pearl-clutching guise of “think of the children”!! It is the job of the parents, not the government, to ensure that their child doesn’t read content they find unsuitable.

 

[Merton J. Dingle]

Books shouldn’t be banned at all. I hate this feigned moral righteousness both the left and the right perform under the pearl-clutching guise of “think of the children”!! It is the job of the parents, not the government, to ensure that their child doesn’t read content they find unsuitable.

There's a special place in hell for all the people that have reigned in this era of censorship in every goddamn walk of life.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

This news headline also shows that SJWs believe -- or at least want you to believe -- that "identity politics" is "the resistance" and not "the establishment" it really is.

 

[Coo Coo Bird]

One of these books is not like the other.
One of these books doesn't belong.

Why do they keep throwing Bluest Eye in with shit like Gender Queer? Every, single time. They attempt to legitimize the hate their , actually autistic , unwashed ass memoir by sitting it next to books that actually go into depth about issues.

I've already gone on a rant about how shitty Gender Queer is but here is the short of it.

• Writer was a stupid lesbian, convinced that she was a dude.
• Revealed she was ostracized as a child. This is because she didn't wash her ass, wear pads/tampons or wear deodorant.
• Ignored all the good advice she got from other lesbians.
• Got taken advantage of by another lesbian who catered to her delusion
• Wrote erotic fanfiction about boybands.
• Became a porn addict for a while
• Uncensored ads for a pornsite/ free advert for Kink.com
• Her priorities are shit.

There's a whole thread about Gender Queer. Thing is, she's not a lesbian. She's a fujo. And an autist.

 

[Cheesegirl78]

My youngest cheeselet's school has Mein Kampf, so he checked it out.
He couldn't finish it, he said Hitler was an awful writer, and doesn't know how it got published in the first place.

 

[make_it_so]

My youngest cheeselet's school has Mein Kampf, so he checked it out.
He couldn't finish it, he said Hitler was an awful writer, and doesn't know how it got published in the first place.

When you can publish guides on how to surgically transition from a man to a woman in 1920's Germany, you can publish anything.

 

[Falcos_Commisar]

I have heard that the other book about TND that the dude wrote is a lot better, it being a series in fact instead of a single book.

Maybe it is just me with brainrot after decades of glownigger infestations but Turner Diaries feels like bait. Compared to a lot of boog fantasy and 2nd civil war porn the style of it feels a bit... off. The thing starts already way too advanced in the plot with guns having been banned and weaponized nigger squads doing the enforcement of the anti-gun law which is insane. The book came out in the late 70's and is meant to be set in the near future but no attempt is made to explain how this happened at all.

Then there are the other stuff that goes on, such as how the rebels behave themselves which comes off as straight up bait. Like how they constantly purity spiral about doing even more Total Nigger Death and the killing of white traitors taking precedence over actual objectives. A lot of shit talking about how it had a "bomb recipe guide" was made but ANFO is piss easy to make.

It almost makes me think it was meant as a way to sabotage white supremacists. Would explain how Harold Covington was able to keep himself out of trouble.

His other book series about the secessionists/separatists however had a lot more thought from what I hear. Things are planned for years, the rebellion actually practices things and the government is not comically evil jewish niggers, the actual civil war is caused by some bullshit that catches everyone by surprise, and more. I should look into reading it sometime.

It's because Harold Covington was a retarded grifter who was writing White Power fan fiction.

That's it