08/11/2026
Happy Tuesday afternoon LLiS! Pam here, taking a break from some time with a good 📕, to celebrate something that both sides of the aisle have been wanting. Today Governor Healy was in Franklin at the oldest free lending library in the country to sign the Freedom to Read Act.
This Act was initially sponsored by Rep Adam Scanlon of North Attleboro, and what it does is solve a problem that parents in Seekonk have been complaining about in years past. The Freedom to Read Act sets clear and concise protocols for school and public libraries to follow when deciding whether or not a book belongs in a collection.
Gone are the days of people wondering how to add or remove a book from shelves. This law spells it out for all librarians to cite and follow. 🙌 Parents can STILL request that certain books not be accessible to their child under this law. It’s truly a win for libraries and learning.
And yet…..there are still people who are mad, because while the law provides a framework for reviewing material, it clearly allows for inclusion of LGBTQ+ inclusive books. In fact, the whole reason the act was first proposed as a bill was because of North Attleboro parents fighting over whether or not the book Woke belonged on their school library shelves.
The book is still there, for the record. And thanks to the inclusion built into the review framework it will remain there. Because Freedom to Read doesn’t mean Obligation to Read. It’s just like how going into a restaurant doesn’t require you eat EVERYTHING on the menu.
So enjoy your reading, take a trip to the library (before they start boxing everything up to get ready for the renovations!!! So excited!!😆), and know that if you don’t like what a book is saying you can always close the cover and stop reading. What has been your favorite read this summer?
