This Saturday, hundreds of family-friendly story hours—featuring books with biblical and patriotic messages—will take place at libraries in Texas and across America, despite efforts by the Marxist-led American Library Association to sabotage the events.
Saturday’s national “See You at the Library” day was initiated by BRAVE Books, a company headquartered in Texas that publishes faith-based children’s books promoting traditional American values.
BRAVE Books says the conservative story hours serve as a counter to controversial children’s drag queen story hours, offering families “who love God and love America” an opportunity to gather at their local libraries and participate in pro-faith reading events.
The grassroots-organized events will be held at public libraries across the country, including more than 40 in Texas.
Actor and author Kirk Cameron is slated to attend a story hour in Taylor, Texas, alongside former collegiate swimming champion Riley Gaines, who is an advocate for protecting women’s sports from males seeking to compete as “trans” women.
Cameron has authored two titles for BRAVE Books and is leading the “See You at the Library” campaign, which continues a movement he started last year.
BRAVE Books Story Hours
Parents founded BRAVE Books in 2021 so they could publish uplifting stories that teach kids Christian and conservative values as an alternative to the progressive agenda dominating children’s literature.
Last December, Cameron asked to read his book “As You Grow” at more than 50 public libraries. The libraries refused, with some saying the “messaging” of his book did not “align” with their values.
When Cameron threatened legal action for religious and viewpoint discrimination, the libraries relented.
That led to the launch of his BRAVE Books Story Hour tour, with some events drawing more than 1,000 attendees.
Those events sparked the idea for the “See You at the Library” campaign.
American Library Association Sabotage
The American Library Association is the largest organization for librarians in the world with about 50,000 members, who recently elected a self-proclaimed Marxist as the association’s president.
After getting wind of the “See You at the Library” initiative, the ALA—which claims to promote “freedom to read”—tried to sabotage the events and prevent people from reading patriotic, pro-religion books to kids.
During an online library conference in June, the director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom advised librarians how to block conservatives and Christians from hosting BRAVE Books reading events at their local libraries.
One suggestion was to make library meeting rooms “unavailable” by scheduling other events on August 5.
Cameron says he is working with Texas-based First Liberty Institute to hold the ALA accountable for discriminating against his conservative and pro-faith messaging.
A group of Republican U.S. senators is also questioning the ALA’s actions and whether the group used taxpayer dollars to block Cameron’s book readings.
Meanwhile, some event organizers in Texas say their local librarians did cite scheduling issues when they requested to use library meeting facilities on August 5.
Local ‘See You at the Library’ Events
Some local libraries have been quick to point out that the conservative story hours are not being hosted by the library itself, in the way that drag queen story hours have been, but are privately hosted events held in library meeting rooms that individuals and groups may reserve.
Michele Nuckolls and Shayla Parker—the moms in Two Moms and Some Books—are hosting one of three “See You at the Library” events in Montgomery County. The moms hosted their first BRAVE Books Story Hour in January, which drew more than 200 people.
Also this year, Nuckolls successfully petitioned county officials to revise local library policies so children are protected from adult content, and to add BRAVE Books titles and other conservative-themed books to library shelves.
“I was concerned that we would be unable to book any libraries for the ‘See You at the Library’ events when I saw that all the Saturdays on the schedule from mid-May through August had been blocked on the calendar,” Nuckolls told Texas Scorecard. “When I reached out to the library system, librarians told me they were holding August 5 for back-to-school events or family game days.”
Eventually, the county made meeting space available at three libraries.
Citizens Defending Freedom–Williamson County is hosting nine “See You at the Library” events, including five on Saturday, but also said several local libraries reported “scheduling conflicts” when the group first inquired about meeting space.
“We are gathering at our local libraries to celebrate our Christian family values, despite the fact that the leftists at the ALA despise our values and tried to stop us,” said Marcia Watson, the group’s executive director. “Our events are not only a celebration of our values, but also a protest of the far-left agenda that has overtaken our public institutions.”
A Facebook group of “LGBTQ+ Democrats” posted a plan to protest the story hour at the Round Rock Public Library in Williamson County by showing up and reading “banned” books that are available for check-out at the library.
BRAVE Books says “See You at the Library” is about more than just a story hour on one day:
“It’s about continuing a movement that gives a positive and healthy alternative to families and children at libraries.”
A map of “See You at the Library” events can be found here.
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