- Mar 17, 2025
In a significant turn of events, a newly enacted state law is shaking up the landscape of library book reviews in Fresno County. This legislation prohibits citizen committees from banning library books that reflect diverse identities or contain sexual content, igniting a heated debate about local governance and community standards.
Fresno County’s library review committee, which was established amid rising concerns over children's literature, is now under scrutiny. Supervisor Steve Brandau, a key advocate for the committee, expressed dismay, stating, “It’s a direct hit at Fresno County... sad when they can’t let local government make any decisions.”
Despite the new law, Brandau has not ruled out a legal challenge against the state, emphasizing that decisions made by the board must be defended if necessary. “Sometimes, we have to defend our decisions,” he noted.
As of now, the fate of Fresno County’s review committee remains uncertain. Although over 100 citizens applied to join the committee by April's end, no appointments had been made by August, pending the outcome of AB 1825.
Fresno County spokesperson Sonja Dosti stated that the county is carefully reviewing the new legislation before presenting recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Meanwhile, the board’s previous resolution to establish a parent and guardian review committee narrowly passed with a 3-2 vote, reflecting a divided stance on the matter.
Under the new law, community members still have avenues to express concerns about book appropriateness. Every public library is required to develop a collection policy by 2026, ensuring that the community has a voice in library material selection.
However, the ultimate decision-making power will rest with librarians trained in professional standards, not with politically appointed committees, as emphasized by Muratsuchi.
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