EveryLibrary and National Coalition Against Censorship Call on Rutherford County Libraries to Uphold the First Amendment

In early November, the Rutherford County Library System (RCLS) announced the closure of multiple public library branches to conduct a state-mandated “age-appropriateness review” of their children’s collections.

These closures were initiated after a series of letters from Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, who directed RCLS and other public libraries to review all children’s materials within 60 days and report titles deemed “age-inappropriate” to the state by January 19, 2026. He threatened that failure to conduct this review could risk funding not only for Rutherford County, but for more than 200 public libraries across Tennessee. 

Over the past year, at least 140 books have already been pulled from Rutherford County public libraries, following legislative changes that broadened obscenity standards in school libraries and quickly spilled over into public library decision-making. Now, with the possible removal of the Library Bill of Rights, community members fear that constitutional protections for readers themselves are being dismantled.

It is in this escalating climate of emergency closures, political pressure, funding threats, targeted book reviews, and public protest that EveryLibrary, in partnership with the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), has formally reminded the Rutherford County Library System Board of its clear constitutional obligations and the serious legal risks of viewpoint-based book removals. On December 1, 2025, NCAC sent a letter to the Rutherford County Library System Board of Directors, co-signed by EveryLibrary, warning that compliance with the Secretary of State’s “age-appropriateness” directive could expose the library to significant constitutional liability and violate well-established First Amendment law.

In guidance published in response to the Secretary of State's initial order, the EveryLibrary Institute observed that library boards in Tennessee are empowered under state law to manage their libraries independently. They are not required to follow directives that conflict with constitutional protections. As our letter with NCAC makes clear, the First Amendment supersedes any federal or state directive that attempts to impose viewpoint-based restrictions on public collections.

EveryLibrary strongly supports the Rutherford Library Alliance, the parents, educators, and community advocates who have organized locally to defend their public libraries from political interference and censorship. Their leadership has been instrumental in bringing public attention to the issues in Rutherford County and in advocating that constitutional values should govern public institutions, not political agendas.

Public libraries exist to serve everyone. They cannot be turned into instruments of ideology, nor can they lawfully deny access to books simply because political leaders disapprove of particular identities, families, or stories.

Read the NCAC–EveryLibrary Letter

Please read the full letter we co-signed with NCAC and sent to the Rutherford County Library System Board, which is available for public review: https://ncac.org/news/ncac-reminds-library-in-rutherford-county-tennessee-of-duty-to-uphold-the-first-amendment 

EveryLibrary will continue to work with NCAC, the Rutherford County Library Alliance, the Tennessee Freedom to Read Project, and partners across the state and nation to defend public libraries from unlawful censorship and ensure that every Tennessean retains full and equal access to books, ideas, and information.