Corpus Christi is one of the latest battlegrounds in Texas’ fight over access to books, as the public library board proposes restricting titles without allowing parents to decide what’s appropriate for their children.
Many recent efforts to remove or restrict books in the state take place in school libraries, spearheaded by a variety of groups including conservative activists, rogue law enforcement and potential murderers. However, public libraries in Texas also are being affected, whether by other branches of local government or the library board itself.
In Corpus Christi, the conservative-majority public library board recommended policy changes to restrict minors from certain content without parental input, remove references to diversity and the freedom to read, and make it easier to challenge books.
The revisions were sent to city staff for review after a 5-4 vote Sept. 3. Similar versions had been introduced to a library board subcommittee earlier in the summer, but went nowhere after the group was deadlocked and then disbanded per city rules.
Some community and library board members questioned why the subject was revived and said they were unaware it had been added to the meeting’s agenda.
“I thought they weren’t going to do (the policy changes),” said Julie Rogers, a Corpus Christi resident and former library board member. “What they’re proposing is drastically different from the existing collection development policy, which is standard and protects and respects people’s freedoms.”
Supporters of the collection development policy changes, including library board member Melinda de Los Santos, told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times it addresses “inappropriate materials in the minor section.”
Rogers said this rhetoric reflects the influence of far-right organizations, including Citizens Defending Freedom and Moms for Liberty, which push for book removals and anti-LGBTQ+ policies across the state. Both groups are listed on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map.
Citizens Defending Freedom released a news release in November 2023 stating it “successfully influenced” the appointment of five members onto the Corpus Christi Library Board by working with “like-minded” City Council members.
Library board member Carrie Moore is the education division leader for Nueces County’s Citizens Defending Freedom chapter and the chair of the local Moms For Liberty chapter. Another board member, Pat Craig, previously served as treasurer of the Nueces County Moms For Liberty chapter. Corpus Christi is the county seat for Nueces County.
Opponents of the proposed library policy fear it will infringe on patrons’ freedom to read and parents’ rights to decide what their children access, as well as lead to book bans. Rogers started a petition against the updates, which has over 700 signatures as of Sept. 13. It calls on the board to focus on library funding instead of the collection policy, which isn’t up for review until August 2025.
“They’ve politicized it and that’s what I find so disgusting and dangerous,” Rogers said. “I think a lot of people in Corpus Christi do, too.”
In the recommended policy, all references to diversity, equity and inclusion would be removed, as well as a line describing the freedom to read as “essential to our democracy.” The updates also take out a passage stating patrons are free to decide which parts of the collection are best for them, but can’t restrict the freedom of others to choose.
The current development policy states only parents can restrict their own children from accessing library materials. It also states the library is “not a judicial body” and material challenged for obscenity, subversiveness or any other category covered by law will not be removed unless ordered by a court.
The changes would strike these passages and give the library system discretion to exclude “sexually explicit material” from its collection, allegedly to protect minor patrons. Books with “sexual activity” will be excluded from the children’s and young adult sections, which the proposed policy defines to include intercourse, masturbation and nudity.
Library patrons under the age of 18 will receive specialized cards, intended to prevent the checkout of materials with “obscenity, sexual conduct, and sexual intercourse.” Content deemed age-appropriate and related to biology, human anatomy of religion are exempt.
While these cards come with a guide to help guardians “quickly locate information about some books,” there is no process for parents to allow their kids to access whatever titles they want.
Previous drafts of the policy also barred minors from checking out books with “sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance.”
“Moving a book is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than taking it out because it’s still censorship,” Rogers said. “When you move LGBTQ+ books, it sends a subtle message that people in that community don’t belong with everyone else. I just find it quite an affront because they are a part of our community.”
The new policy also changes the library’s book reconsideration process. While requestors still must be residents of Corpus Christi, they no longer need to be active library cardholders in good standing for at least a year. People also no longer need to read a book in its entirety before submitting a reconsideration request.
The Corpus Christi library board serves in an advisory capacity and does not make policy decisions. However, it can recommend changes to library and city staff.
While there is no established timeline on when city staff will be done reviewing the policy proposal, the library board could send it to the City Council afterwards. Rogers said she believes the Corpus Christi City Council will approve the collection development policy changes.
“It’s clear the ultimate destination is the City Council, where Citizens Defending Freedom either has a majority or enough people that influence others to have a majority,” Rogers said.