At the Irving City Council meeting on Thursday, August 28, several residents raised concerns about sexually explicit books available in the Irving Public Library’s Young Adult (YA) section.
Resident Vicky Norman, who lives on Sleepy Hollow Drive North, questioned the actions of Library Director Lynette Roberson, who has served in the role since July 2022. Norman said that although some books had been moved as part of the library’s “collection modification project,” explicit titles were reclassified into a new category called “YA Plus” but remained in the YA area instead of being moved to the adult section as had been agreed previously.
“Now we are directing 11 to 18-year-old minors to the most explicit books, but we are telling their parents to stay out of the area,” Norman said. She asked whether the council intended for explicit books to remain in the YA section and called for a freeze on new book purchases until the matter is addressed, clarifying that parents are not seeking to ban books, but want them relocated to a parenting section.
Her husband, Timothy Norman, also spoke, urging the city to explore vendor assistance in identifying explicit materials and to involve the library board more actively in reviewing book selections. He criticized what he described as dismissive treatment of concerned citizens and suggested adopting age-restricted library cards, similar to practices in Arlington.
The discussion referenced the recent Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Little v. Llano County (May 2025), which ruled that Texas public library officials may remove books based on content—a shift in precedent.
Currently, the City of Irving outlines a “Request for Reconsideration” (RFR) process on its website. This process allows library patrons to formally contest materials they find objectionable. Complaints are reviewed by an Ad Hoc Librarian Committee, which can recommend removal, relocation, reclassification, or no action. Patrons may appeal the committee’s decision to the Library Director, whose determination is final.
The Irving City Council did not comment during Thursday’s meeting on what the Norman's brought up.
