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Tennessee’s public libraries are facing organized, growing political pressure that is changing how libraries work, threatening staff, and putting the constitutional rights of readers at risk.

On December 27, 2025, The Tennessean published an in-depth analysis of the Secretary of State’s directive ordering Tennessee libraries to conduct “age-appropriateness” audits in response to state law and President Trump’s executive order on “gender ideology.”

A federal judge has declined to temporarily block the removal of books from school libraries in one of Tennessee’s largest districts. Earlier this year in Rutherford County, three high school students, represented by the ACLU of Tennessee, filed suit against their school board after more than 140 books were removed from library shelves. The students contend that these bans violate their First Amendment rights and deny access to "crucial, acclaimed, and historical works."

A coalition of national library organizations, legal experts, and civil rights advocates released a public letter responding to the recent “age-appropriateness” review demanded by the Tennessee Secretary of State.

Tennessee’s sudden public library shutdowns raise deep constitutional concerns that strike at the core of public access, intellectual freedom, and equal protection under the law.

The Tennessee Freedom to Read Project is a nonpartisan statewide initiative dedicated to defending the rights of every Tennessean to access public libraries freely, safely, and without political interference.