A library director from Tennessee was dismissed this week. She refused to move LGBTQ+ books from the children's section. Luanne James completely supports her decision. She sees her dismissal as part of a bigger problem. Public institutions are increasingly involved in political debates.

James was director for only eight months. The library board announced her dismissal. The board wanted her to move 132 LGBTQ+ books to the adult section. Board members said these titles were unsuitable for younger readers. But James disagreed. 'This was not about which shelf books belong on. This was about my professional responsibility as a librarian,' she said in an interview.

In twenty-five years as a librarian, James never experienced this. 'This only happens since the coronavirus pandemic. I am convinced that politicians try to misuse libraries for their own purposes,' she explains. 'That is not why I became a librarian.' The Tennessee conflict reflects a national pattern. Public libraries across America are increasingly becoming battlegrounds. They discuss LGBTQ+ representation and what parents want their children to read.