The current battles over what books are appropriate in public schools or libraries especially vex those who support an expansive culture of free expression—but who also understand political fights are inevitable when public funds support things parts of the public get angry about. The threat to expression from a decision by public librarians to not stock something or to restrict its access might be smaller than that from the state actively forbidding the availability of certain works anywhere.
Some politicians, though, lately insist on blurring the line between "public librarians making professional judgments" (even if under duress from an angry minority throwing vicious accusations) and using political force to restrict certain books because of their messages.
