Booksology What is another way to participate? Run for the office.
Without a doubt, this option is not for everyone who has been fired in public goods. But for many people who have never considered themselves a public steward, it’s probably time to think of where and how you have the ability to run for the office. Running for something that has more focus and energy on the school board elections, reports that interest by progressive candidates in running their local offices has skyrocketed since the election. Mid-June figures show that since November 5, 2025, 50,000 people have signed up to run for local positions.
But for those with the ability to do so, running for a local office is a great opportunity to reach out to change the future of public goods. Today, I am excited to share an essay from an Iowa librarian. Iowa has chosen to run for Iowa House of Representatives after seeing right-wing laws targeting libraries throughout her state.
Literary Activities
You can use positive tips and tools for the fight against news you can use and activities like censorship and other books!
You may not have heard her name yet, but you may know the possibilities of India. On Friday, May 30th, Jodi Ernst was at the heart of a viral moment at the Town Hall Conference (held at a convenient and accessible time at 7:30am). She was asked about the impact of Trump’s budget and Medicare cuts on tax bills, and between her answers, a cry of “people die” from the audience screaming. Ernst’s response was astoundingly heartless and honest, “people don’t. Well, we will all die. For heaven, for the sake of the people.”
The voices from the audience did not mean that India was not.
**
When I was in elementary school, my babysitter worked in the after-school public library. I was left to my device in the stack for long enough that I caught a “reading bug” and fell into a lifelong love for literature. Now I work as a library director and love the work assignments. Find the perfect book to recommend, arrange eye-catching book displays, job seekers put their resumes and help kids catch reading bugs in summer reading programs. When I saw the laws against my state libraries, I turned to group chats with other Chickasaw County Library directors. He had to speak up at City Hall, hosted by Senator Sandy Salmon and Representative Charlie Thomson. We couldn’t predict the interaction that day.
The Iowa Legislature had three anti-generating bills. Bill criminalizes educators to share “indecent” material, bans books depicting sex, stripping them of funds from libraries, a member of the Library Association. These bills were unconstitutional and frankly, completely ignored by how libraries actually function. All accredited Iowa libraries already have existing procedures for handling dispute material within the Library Board. But when I spoke to lawmakers to explain this, I met a blank stare from the sponsors of these bills. When asked Senator Salmon about the basis for the law, she said, “I don’t know anything about it.” Worse, I learned the same day that Iowa had just abolished civil rights protections for trans and non-binary people. I was crushed. That day we were able to fire, kick trans people out, and refuse care. Senators Salmon and Thomson stood behind these laws without providing rhymes or reasons. They didn’t need a reason. Their minds were made up. I left the town hall with a fire in my heart. I later called Representative Thomson, who doubled in claiming that “the American Library Association has an agenda to make catalogs weird.” I finished this call as politely as I could. I was unable to reach these lawmakers on their crusades. So, like with librarians, I started working on research.
I was fortunate to be able to attend an in-person local library event hosted by Annie’s Foundation. It is an Iowa-based nonprofit organization that protects the right to read and support library workers and educators facing political targeting. I learned about groups like family leaders who openly support Christian nationalism, and groups like the Mama of Liberty, a far-right group known for demanding bans on books on race, gender and history, particularly those by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors.
I believed that if I focused on my work away from politics, I could avoid banishing someone and avoiding things being resolved on my own. But now, my job of supporting users feels political in itself, whether I want to participate in politics or not. Now I am willing to risk being misunderstood. For context, I am a librarian and writer. I have published several intermediate ghost story novels, which are eerie stories that focus on children’s grief, autonomy, and friendships about handling curiosity through folk tales. To Christophasists, those stories are considered merely magic. I have seen them call my devilish books just because they include spiritual and non-Christian cultural traditions. My story is healthy and written throughout my mind (and a bit of Iowa’s ancient lore about statue mounds).
The pressure is only installed. I spoke about these topics and encouraged others to regain our leadership and fight this misinformation. Everybody I relied on (organizers, former candidates, patrons, friends) urged me to get a job. Under normal circumstances, I would never have considered it, but I know what is at risk. I have the bandwidth to take this risk, and as a civil servant, I have many of the skills I need to win this race and fight these injustice.
Librarians are trained in research, research and research. (Only if we expected the lawmakers to have the same degree of truth. Maybe they’d read a book they wanted to ban.) Librarians know how to grow their dollars, do more with less, and deal with surprises. We focus on service, care and personal freedom every day. We believe that everyone deserves safety in a clean and bright place, so we solve problems and connect people with resources. Our doors are open to everything. That’s the way of thinking I want to see in public office.
The fight for the future of our democracy is here in our community. The ban on books is not “protecting children.” They are to silence challenging ideas. Library rebates and civil rights deprivation are assaults on public life, starting with local and state policies. As the immortal words of a letter from a prison once stated, “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
I am running for the Iowa House of Rep. Because the loudest and most hated voices that dominate the story of our beautiful state are rejected. I’m running because our community deserves better. We are still running because we deserve civil servants who believe in the public interest.
This is my plea. If you love your library, run for something! Join the advocacy group. I will give a lecture at a board of education meeting. Volunteer campaign. Please say the quiet part out loud. People will die when civil rights are revoked, healthcare is cut, libraries approach, when communities are denied access to the lifeline they need. I think we still have time to write another ending – if we’re brave enough to turn the pages.
If you would like to connect with me, please visit www.mayforiowa.com. Keep up with good trouble and read more prohibited books!
Book Censorship News: July 19, 2025
- “The Alberta Education Minister said that as of October 1, the material the state believes must sexually explicitly disappear from school library shelves does not concern the book ban,” Alberta takes the page from Texas. It’s as if there was a political connection between each far-right interest.
- Speaking of Alberta, authorities have used a list of America’s most banned books to select their targets.
- We are still international, but this is an article about where and how Chinese writers of Danmei Fiction are targeting writing.
- As announced during court proceedings, there is a complete list of books banned by the Department of Defense Educational Activities earlier this year. Learn about the ACLU lawsuit against this book, which is banned by the federal government here.
- With a big victory, the Republican governor of New Hampshire rejected the state legislature’s ban on writing bill.
- This Minnesota Outlet film is surprised that the state has an anti-book ban bill, but has not stopped the book ban. These remind us that they are as good as they are forced to.
- Ultimately, there is a lawsuit filed by library supporters against the Plattville Public Library in Alabama. (Read here from someone bringing it to court for the background of this case).
- Not surprising, the librarian, fired in Georgia for displaying a queer book during his Pride, specifically and intentionally targeted the shooting. This is play by play.
- Since Covid, the threat to school board members has almost tripled. Again, considering the scenery, it’s not surprising. We are verifying that there are numbers.
- Additionally, here’s how one Wisconsin school board became an extreme majority in just six months: (The answer is the policy of how these members will be appointed. If the board is permitted to appoint the next member, do you guess what will happen as the rights take over?)
- It appears that Sumner County Library (TN) board members are unable to pass on the highly hateful policy of banning trans books from public library collections. Boohee.
- Officials at St. Charles City County Library (MO) are considering changing the book ban policy to make it a little more difficult to ban books in the collection. This policy requires a large majority of votes from the board to remove the title. It’s a step in the right direction, and these policies are reminders of who has the power.
- A valuable reading from British librarians about eliminating knowledge, information and access to US materials.
- The Redlands Unified School District (CA) bans numerous flags from the district, but failed to pass a ban on books. Had California’s anti-book ban been enacted, we would not have voted here.
- Far-right politics have caused immense damage to libraries in Northern Idaho (remember this?). A consortium that provided inter-liberative loan services to 14 different libraries has now been dissolved.
- Hanover School has deleted more books than other school districts in Virginia, according to a new state report.
- Roxbury School District (NJ) restricts access Gender queer. It’s not on the library shelf, but it’s behind the desk, so students have to ask for it. It’s still censored.
- Escambia County Schools (FL) cannot protect board members from testifying in lawsuits brought about their book ban.
- Florida’s state board of education has changed requirements for school library workers, reducing the number of things such as learning teaching and learning and compliance with state standards. This trains them to become state servants, not their students.
- The Fontana Regional Library (NC) has faced many challenges ahead of them ever since withdrawing the regional library system on books that appear to be inappropriate for all * members of the community. I hope they see the lawsuit suggested by one resident.
- Below are 15 additional books challenged in the Beaufort County School District (SC) by the same woman who challenged 90 people before.
