Censoring Library Databases: A Battle Won But the War Continues
We made it through another legislative session here in Utah, and as has become tradition since the original book-banning bill was passed in 2022 (followed by additional attempts to restrict access in 2023 and 2024), the State again attempted to broaden the reach of Utah’s book ban law.
This time, they failed, thanks to the efforts of citizens and groups who showed up, spoke up, and fought back.
In this legislative session, Representative Nicholeene Peck introduced HB473: School Digital Materials Amendments. This bill sought to apply the Sensitive Instructional Materials Law requirements (i.e. the law allowing books to be banned in Utah) to academic research databases and, among other things, would have allowed the State School Board, local education agencies, or the Utah Education and Telehealth Network to rescind contracts if a vendor fails to comply with removing so-called “sensitive material.”
As we discussed in a previous blog post, this bill was a solution in search of a problem. Not only was there no legitimate reason for it, enactment of this bill would have led to limited options for our students to have access to reputable and reliable academic research vendors. This bill was a good example of why fixing things that aren’t broken is a bad way to make policy but a good way to cause problems in the future.
On February 27, HB473 was presented at the House Education Standing Committee Meeting. In addition to Representative Peck, five other people spoke to the committee on the bill. Representatives from the Utah Library Association, Let Utah Read, and other residents of Utah spoke against the bill. For a good summary of why this bill was not needed, and the false claims of censorship that Peck has peddled for years - and which have been roundly debunked — see our FAQ on HB473.
Ultimately, the bill passed out of committee and the House. Luckily for Utah students, the bill died in the Senate. But we know this attempt to censor databases won’t be the end. The Utah Library Association, Let Utah Read, and others were there to fight against this bill this time, but we expect the fight will continue in the next legislative session and the next. As Utah bans a 17th book statewide and the federal government joins the book-banning trend, our children’s right to read is as precarious as it has ever been. Join the fight. Stay in the fight. Let your voice be heard.