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Pflugerville library director says library will follow Miller test as Texas bills move through legislature
Summary
Library Director reported on state legislation tracked by the Texas Library Association and said the library will continue to apply the Supreme Courts Miller test for obscenity until the state issues different parameters; director also outlined possible impacts if state or federal funding arrangements change.
Jennifer, the Pflugerville Public Library director, told the board she has been monitoring bills tracked by the Texas Library Association and said the library will continue to use the U.S. Supreme Courts Miller test to determine obscenity in collection decisions until state law or directives require a change.
"Since our parameters were set by the Supreme Court, and those have not been thrown out in Texas, we will continue to operate the library according to those parameters...the Miller test, until we're told otherwise," Jennifer said.
She reported that Senate Bill 412 had passed the Texas Senate and been referred to the House for further action. She also noted that a House bill listed in the tracker—recorded in meeting materials as "House Bill 32 25"—had a public hearing scheduled for the 14th and that public hearings can be watched on the Texas Legislature Online site. The director cautioned that several bills across the legislative session carry similar language and that tracking is ongoing.
Jennifer also briefed the board on federal funding delivered through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its pass‑through to the state library. The director said IMLS funding helps pay for Techshare databases (academic journals and peer‑reviewed sources), interlibrary loan reimbursements and postage; if those state allocations were reduced or removed it would affect access to those shared resources. She described staff plans to track usage of Techshare databases and consider purchasing the most‑used resources individually if the state funding changes.
Board members asked whether the library receives federal funds; the director clarified that the library receives IMLS support via state distribution rather than a direct block grant. She said the library does not use E‑Rate funding and that private grants were not a primary source for those tech resources.
No board action was taken on state legislation during the meeting; the item was informational and staff said they will continue monitoring developments and report back to the board.
