Kids Win with Family Values in AZ Libraries and Schools

America’s Women believes parents—not government institutions—should have the final say over what materials their children access. Across the nation, families are waking up to the reality that many public and school libraries contain sexually explicit, obscene, or age-inappropriate books in youth sections. We’re fighting back through advocacy, education, and collaboration, and we’re seeing real results.

Biblically, parents are the ones entrusted with the responsibility to ‘train up their children in the way they should go’ (Proverbs 22:6) and to guard their hearts and minds from harmful influences (Proverbs 4:23). Constitutionally, the U.S. Supreme Court has long affirmed that parental rights are fundamental under the Fourteenth Amendment, as established in Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), which recognized parents' liberty to direct the upbringing and education of their children. Government institutions like libraries, therefore, do not have the right to provide children with whatever material they choose, as this undermines parental authority and community standards. Parents should be deeply concerned and take action to protect the innocence and moral development of their children.

To better understand the concerns regarding library materials, we recommend reading   this blog: "Safe Libraries", by Kelly Ancor.

Recent Progress in Maricopa County Libraries

A significant victory came through our work with the Maricopa County Library District (MCLD). Thanks to persistent parent advocacy, MCLD moved 50 Juvenile sex-ed books—many featuring explicit content and illustrations—from low shelves in the children’s section to a high shelf in the adult section. This commonsense change helps prevent unsupervised or accidental exposure to minors.

MCLD also offers several strong parental choice options. We recommend patrons do the following to protect their children:

Parents or guardians must provide in-person consent for a child to receive a library card. 

Parents can now link accounts to monitor what their children borrow—a much-needed commonsense step.

Through the, families can customize restrictions on physical materials and collections through an OPT-OUT system. Parents now have flexibility to opt children out of concerning titles as well as broad categories like all Juvenile materials or narrower sub-collections.

Digital platforms like Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy include built-in parental controls, age restrictions, and kids-only modes.

Librarians are available to help families navigate these tools and align selections with their values.

Note for MCLD Users: Refer to the Action section in this week’s newsletter for specific steps parents can take to fully leverage these tools and advocate for even stronger protections. 

A Shining Success Story: Queen Creek Unified School District

Our advocacy is producing tangible wins in schools too. In April 2026, Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) implemented a new policy, written by Board Member Kelli Anderson, requiring oversight of classroom books after unanimous approval by the governing board in December.

The policy requires approval of all classroom books, provides a parent review list, and restricts sexually explicit materials. This serves as a strong model for other districts prioritizing parental transparency and child protection.

America’s Women Recommendations for Stronger Library Policies

While we celebrate these steps, more work remains. Here’s what we recommend for public libraries across Arizona and the nation:

• Implement a parental opt-in program similar to Fairhope Public Library’s model in Alabama. This policy requires parents to provide explicit consent and select tiered access levels for their minor children’s library cards, defaulting to more restricted access unless parents actively approve broader use.

• Relocate sexually explicit, obscene, or age-inappropriate materials from Preschool, Juvenile, and Teen sections to the Adult section only.

• Discontinue membership with the American Library Association (ALA), following Manatee County, Florida’s lead in January 2024 because the ALA promotes a political agenda that conflicts with local community values and parental rights.

• Adopt or integrate the National Book Rating Index as a parent resource and service for book ratings, excerpts, and content assessments.

  
  

These policies respect parental rights while maintaining access for adults.

Supportive Library Reforms and Legal Victories Across the Nation

Rutherford County, TN Library Board relocated explicit books from children’s sections to the adult section and removed all references to ALA policies, including the Library Bill of Rights.

This aligns with the Little v. Llano ruling, (5^th Circuit, 2025; cert. denied), which upheld libraries’ authority to curate collections as government speech, supporting community values and child protection.

The Work We Do at Arizona Women of Action & America’s Women

We partner with libraries, counties, schools, and legislators to protect children and empower parents. Our efforts include advocating opt-in policies, relocating explicit materials, collecting petition signatures, submitting book reconsideration requests, and speaking at board meetings. We also collaborate with groups like the World Library Association, Take Back the Classroom, and Rated Books.

In addition, we promote Bibles in Schools and encourage community involvement through petitions, book recommendations, and our Library Task Force.

We believe libraries should serve families, not undermine them.  Parents deserve transparency, control, and tools to make informed decisions.

Join the Movement! These victories show what’s possible when concerned parents and citizens speak up and stand up for kids. We make it easy, so you can make a difference!

Share this blog with 2 friends today! Together, we can ensure Arizona’s libraries and schools reflect family values and parental authority. The future of our children depends on it.

By Adrienne Johnson

Director of Families

America’s Women