Are you looking for a way to Do Something in the new year? Here’s a good option for you.
Dozens of parents and community members have signed up to help track book bans across the state, by learning how to file public records requests and keeping tabs on school districts.
The Texas Freedom to Read Project launched the grassroots campaign this month after state lawmakers passed new book banning policies. The goal is to create a more up-to-date, accurate picture of what kinds of books are being banned and where it’s happening. With over 1,200 school districts in Texas, the organization is building a team of community volunteers statewide to help gather information.
“We keep talking to librarians … and keep hearing these school districts who are using AI to review books, and we can’t keep track anymore,” said Laney Hawes, one of three people behind the project. “We can’t keep up, and so we realized we really would like a big picture to see what’s happening.”
Hawes said volunteers for their public information request team will be trained on how to file records requests asking for a list of banned books. Then they’ll be assigned a school district to send those requests and will receive help covering or reducing any fees that come up. On the first day the campaign launched, 70 people signed up to join the team.
Part of the challenge in accurately tracking book bans, said Hawes, is that there are numerous ways to “censor” a book, and many districts have their own way. Some include removing it from a school’s library catalog; labeling the material as outdated or damaged; physically hiding it behind shelves or in a backroom; or taking it off shelves while librarians and district officials review the book.
“Some school districts we’re seeing are quietly weeding them and not recording the actual reason they’re being removed,” Hawes said. “That makes it almost impossible.”
Over 1,780 books were banned in Texas during the 2024-2025 school year, according to PEN America’s annual report. Nearly half of those came from Houston-area districts. But even those numbers are a “severe undercount,” said Sabrina Baeta, senior program manager on the free speech nonprofit’s Freedom to Read team.
“Largely, if a book gets pulled and no one ever reports on it, then we’re not counting that book, we don’t even know that book was removed,” Baeta said. “So unless local reporting does it or a wonderful group like Texas Freedom to Read Project, then that story may never break. And time and time again, we’ve seen that communities want access to books.”
Another one of the three people behind this project is Franklin Strong, who puts together those valuable “Book-Loving Texans’ Guides” to school board races. Look, there’s only so much we can do to stop this insanity as long as the current state leadership is in place. We can vote out the wackadoo school board members, but even the sane and worthwhile school boards have to deal with this stuff because of state laws. In the meantime, until we can get better leadership in the state, we can document the atrocities and make it clear to the people who vote for the bad guys without fully knowing what they’re doing what is happening. Every little bit helps. Go visit the Texas Freedom To Read Project webpage and get involved.