A Win in the 2023 Utah Legislative Session: Libraries Hold the Line

The Utah 2023 Legislative session just concluded on March 3rd without the passage of any significant anti-library bills. 

We’re happy to reporr that HB464 and HB138 didn’t make it across the finish line. Both of these bills would have led to statewide regulations on the kinds of books that you and your family are allowed to read in your public library. HB464 also would have created civil penalties for school districts and forced the implementation of a rating system like https://www.ratedbooks.org/ (a platform built by Moms 4 Liberty to push false narratives about the content of books).  HB138 would have allowed for canceling contracts with education publishers/vendors "without any penalty or any further financial obligation."

Your donations help us support the fight against book bans across the country.

EveryLibrary was proud to support the Utah Library community in several important ways. 

In November, prior to the legislative session, EveryLibrary co-sponsored a “Freadom Forum,” partnering with the Utah Alliance Coalition, to raise grow public awareness about the likelihood of pro-censorship bills in the upcoming session. We hosted and promoted a petition in parallel with the event, helping to identify hundreds of new library supporters in Utah.

In January, we partnered with Utah librarians, PEN America's Utah chapter, and the ACLU of Utah to form a new coalition, “Let Utah Read”. The coalition used our new Fight For the First platform to host a petition and a successful Read-In event at the Utah State Capitol that had 200 people in attendance celebrating the right to read. 

This combination of coalition work, public awareness building, and public activation helped ensure that these problematic bills for Utah libraries failed to gain the support they needed in the state legislature. 

As the only national library organization that provides direct financial, consulting, and strategic support to library advocacy campaigns and ballot initiatives, EveryLibrary needs people like you to help us continue to fight against these bills as they spread to more states. Please consider donating to help fight against book bans at action.everylibrary.org/donatebanning