Tennessee Library Association Pushes Back on Order to Conduct Age-Appropriate Book Review
Fred Gets Dressed is among the titles the Secretary of State is concerned about (Photo by Amazon)
The Tennessee Library Association is questioning Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s recent order for libraries across the state to conduct an age-appropriate review of their children’s collections.
Secretary of State Tre Hargett (Photo by Tre Hargett)
Hargett sent a letter to all 181 libraries in the Tennessee Regional Library System requesting the review in late October. Each library will be required to submit a report on the review by January 19, 2026.
“Please undertake an immediate age-appropriate review (over the next 60 days) of all materials in your juvenile children’s section. As part of this review, please identify any materials that may be inconsistent with Tennessee age-appropriateness laws, in violation of any federal law, including President Trump’s Executive Order, or otherwise contrary to any other applicable state or federal laws,” wrote Hargett.
Association Questions Review Reasoning
This week, the Tennessee Library Association’s advisory council and executive board issued a statement to the Tennessee Firefly that stressed the importance of preserving each community’s right to information access and pushed back on the reasoning behind Secretary Hargett’s order.
“The letter alludes to criteria defined in the Age Appropriate Materials Act of 2022, which only applies to school libraries, as well as EO 14168, which prohibits federal funding being used to promote gender ideology. Neither example explains the request for a full reevaluation of juvenile holdings when qualified librarians already adhere to all legal and professional standards when making collections decisions,” wrote the association. “All members of the Regional Library System have signed a Library Service Agreement and have individual collection development policies that comply with state and federal laws.”
Funding ‘At Risk’
Approximately $3.1M in state and federal funds is distributed across Tennessee to purchase library materials each year. In the October letter, Secretary Hargett argues that libraries that violate state and federal laws, including President Trump’s executive order, could put this funding “at risk.”
Hargett specifically referenced concerns about the picture book Fred Gets Dressed by author Peter Brown, about a young boy who tries on his parents’ clothes and makeup.
“For the last several years, our office has received complaints inquiring about library collections, and we consistently refer people to the policies of their local libraries,” said Hargett in a statement to the Tennessee Firefly. “We want all Tennesseans to have confidence in the materials collections as curated by the local library directors and their respective library boards. This level of local decision-making helps build a strong library collection that reflects its community. Often, out-of-state corporate publishers designate books and materials to be cataloged for certain age groups, and we believe that local libraries can best determine where books and materials are placed in the collection.”
Libraries in 91 counties are currently conducting the review, and officials in Rutherford County recently chose to shut down branches to carry it out.
A spokesperson for Secretary Hargett tells the Tennessee Firefly that no library was asked to close for this process, and Rutherford County is the only one to do so.
