The Texas “Reader Act” requires book vendors to review any book that could be sold into a school.
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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A coalition of booksellers, publishing industry trade associations, and advocacy groups sued on Tuesday in a federal district court in Austin to strike down a controversial new Texas book banning law that Gov. Greg Abbott signed on June 12.
Known as the Reader Act, the law’s most concerning provision, say plaintiffs, is a requirement that booksellers review and rate the books they sell as a condition of doing business with Texas schools.
“The new law requires book vendors to review virtually every book that could be sold into a school—including both new books and any books it has previously sold,” according to Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
“Books with alleged sexual content must be rated either ‘sexually explicit’ or ‘sexually relevant,’ if the books portray any kind of sexual conduct,” he tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
Every Friday, CCC’s “Velocity of Content” features the editors and reporters of Publishers Weekly for an early look at what news publishers, editors, authors, agents, and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
