Centrist pundits, conservative think-tank guys and far-right propagandists say the movement to target libraries with new laws and book challenges is about making sure patrons have access to all viewpoints and kids aren't exposed to obscene materials. But what does the situation really look like on the ground? Caitlin and Trent talk to Katie Talhelm, a Public Library Manager in Texas and intellectual freedom advocate. They discuss book banning, viewpoint diversity, and astroturfed “grassroots” activism.

References

Project 2025: https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/D8File/2024/03/26/2025_mandateforleadership_full.pdf#page=33

Chris Rufo on Fox: https://www.foxnews.com/video/6340396476112

Far Right Think-Tank Guy in the New York Times: https://archive.is/jVXAF

The Free Press launders “viewpoint diversity” claims: https://www.thefp.com/p/the-truth-about-banned-books

ALA Report on Book Challenges and Bans: https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data

The segregationist origins of “Parental Rights”: https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-gender-identity-0e2ca2cf0ef7d7bc6ef5b125f1ee0969

Astroturfing in parental rights movement: https://truthout.org/articles/many-parent-groups-opposing-masks-and-crt-are-actually-driven-by-dark-money/

PNW issues with paramilitary groups: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/drag-queen-story-hours-spark-outpouring-of-support-despite-protests/

Campus Misinformation: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/campus-misinformation-9780197531273?cc=us&lang=en&

Anti-Intellectualism in America:

https://ia802903.us.archive.org/6/items/richard-hofstadter-anti-intellectualism-in-american-life-vintage-1966/Richard%20Hofstadter%20-%20Anti-Intellectualism%20in%20American%20Life-Vintage%20(1966).pdf

Paper on Jenner and Smallpox:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1200696/