Friends of FBISD Libraries

09/04/2026

08/30/2026

“I have faced the looming threat of book bans for some time now, but last week’s developments were chilling in a new way. I am used to people coming for my book shelves, but how dare they come for my school as well. How dare they try to erase our hard-earned accomplishments for the sake of political theater. Surely, this is the last straw. Surely, we’ve all had enough.”

An Abilene public school librarian has a message for the lieutenant governor and his book-banning crusade.

08/26/2026

Yesterday we said goodbye to Dolly Parton, a legend whose greatest legacy may not be her music, but the millions of children she helped discover the joy of reading.

In 1995, Dolly created the Imagination Library, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. What began as a small effort in her home county grew into a worldwide program that has gifted hundreds of millions of free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five.

Dolly understood something librarians and educators know well: a book can open a door to an entirely different future.

Her kindness, generosity, and belief in the power of books will live on in every child who opens an Imagination Library book and begins to dream.

Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for helping generations of children dream more, learn more, care more, and be more.

08/26/2026

ALA is heartbroken at the passing of country music legend, cultural icon, and champion of literacy Dolly Parton.

Dolly’s award-winning Imagination Library initiative, inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, has put hundreds of millions of free books into the hands of children across America and was considered by her to be one of her greatest achievements.

“We’re giving books to kids who wouldn’t have a chance to get them otherwise,” she told American Libraries in a 2018 interview. “A lot of people think this is just for poor children—it’s for all children. It’s important to get books into the hands of any child that we can.”

ALA was proud to confer Dolly with an honorary lifetime membership, the Association’s highest honor, in 2023 for her lasting impact on librarianship, libraries, and the communities they serve.

Dolly was also part of ALA’s Celebrity READ campaign, in which she holds a copy of 'The Little Engine That Could.'

“I’ve always related to that book because I’m the little engine that did!” she said.

Thank you, Dolly. ❤️

08/21/2026

The list of books Dan Patrick is demanding be removed from Texas public schools was compiled by Recover America — not by parents, not by educators, and certainly not by librarians.

That matters.

Parents absolutely have a voice in their children's education. But a handful of politicians and political organizations should not get to decide what every Texas student is allowed to read.

About Recover America:
“Recover America is a Christian 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2018 by Rick Scarborough, a former Southern Baptist pastor. Based in Texas, its stated purpose is to promote "a revival in America resulting in a nation where Biblical values are embraced". The organization mobilizes pastors and church leaders to register and educate citizens to vote according to biblical values, especially in local elections.”

08/20/2026

Texas continues its attempt to censor what our children can read. The list of “filthy” books includes award-winning novels by Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, and multiple books that have previously appeared on the AP Lit Exam.

“Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday vowed to pass legislation punishing public schools that do not remove graphic books from their shelves by knocking them down a notch in the state’s annual school performance ratings, which the state uses to seize control of underperforming districts.”

“We’re coming for the books,” the lieutenant governor said in announcing plans to lower the performance rating of Texas schools that violate a recent law targeting obscene titles in school libraries.

08/11/2026

Happy First Day of School!!

A new school year means new friends, new adventures, new challenges, and countless new stories waiting to be discovered.

Books have the incredible power to take us places we've never been, introduce us to people we've never met, and help us better understand both ourselves and the world around us. Every student deserves the opportunity to find books that spark their imagination, inspire curiosity, and reflect their own experiences, identities, families, and dreams.

Here’s to a wonderful 2026–2027 school year filled with learning, discovery, and lots of great books!

07/30/2026

Everything’s bigger in Texas. Especially censorship. 🫠

Check out the latest from Texas Freedom to Read Project cofounder, Frank Strong, over on our website, or his Substack: Anger & Clarity.

https://www.txftrp.org/more_than_100_classic_and_acclaimed_works_of_literature_removed_from_texas_schools_last_year

07/30/2026

The government thinks it can do a better job of raising your children than you.

Here is what they decided your kids can't read.

Now the federal government is trying to enact legislation to decide what books your children can read.

Fight back here- www.stopfederalbookbans.us

07/04/2026

As we celebrate 250 years since the birth of our nation, I'm reminded that the Constitution begins with a challenge as much as a promise:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..."

A more perfect union acknowledges that our work is never finished. True patriotism isn't believing America has always gotten everything right…it's loving our country enough to recognize where we've fallen short and working to make it better.

For 250 years, every generation has helped shape this nation. Our responsibility is to leave it stronger, freer, and more just than we found it, so that liberty, opportunity, and dignity are realities for ALL Americans.

Happy Fourth of July! Here's to continuing the work of building a more perfect union.