Библиотечная система округа Монтгомери: История борьбы за свободу слова

Public library system
Montgomery County Memorial Library System is a public library system in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. The system operates libraries in several Montgomery County cities and areas.

The library started with 1,200 items inside the Conroe School Recreation Center in 1946. It was originally maintained by a women's group known as the HUB Club. In 1948 the library became a branch of the Montgomery County government, with an allocated budget of US$25,000. The first librarian was Katherine Ard. A bookmobile was purchased to help serve the outer areas of Montgomery County. In 1950 the library was relocated to a vacated automobile showroom. Five years later, a $300,000 bond was approved for a new library, which was finished in 1957. In August 2002, a group of citizens attended a meeting of the Commissioners' Court to push for the removal of Robie Harris' It's Perfectly Normal due to complaints that the title was inappropriate. At first, the directive was given to remove the work from library shelves, which was a violation of the very policy that the court had approved just six years earlier. Shortly thereafter, it was agreed that the book would be reconsidered in keeping with the established procedures. The Republican Leadership Council (RLC) pushed for a change in policy on how the committee was composed. Previously, it was made up of five librarians; this was amended to include five citizens as well. The RLC also started a campaign to combat a bond issue to raise $10 million for library expansions, citing tax increases as the reason for the campaign. In 2003, a library takeover was planned by County Judge Alan B. Sadler that resulted in an investigation by the Montgomery County District Attorney and a confidential settlement regarding violations of Texas open meeting laws. Sadler sought to give control over the approval of all materials procured by the library to the county commission. As a result of these ongoing struggles, Library Director Jerilynn A. Williams received the PEN First Amendment Award in 2003.