Book Bans: An Exploration of the Intersection Between Prisons, School Libraries, and Public Libraries in Texas

Abstract

In recent years, the increase in censorship attempts via book challenges and bans has been a large part of public discourse. This has only escalated recently with the shuttering of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the changing political landscape. The research in this paper is focused on a single state, Texas, but is representative of censorship efforts being documented across the country. Texas was selected due to having one of the highest rates of incarceration in the nation and one of the highest rates of book bans. For a variety of unique reasons, materials are heavily restricted for people who are incarcerated, many of which share the same genres and themes found unsuitable for public schools and libraries. Across all three institutions