How a national dispute over library books is fracturing a small Texas town

Tina Castelan says she “wouldn’t be alive” without the public library in her small Texas Hill Country town.

As a severely depressed high-schooler, Castelan picked up “Impulse” by Ellen Hopkins, a book about three troubled teens who become friends while at a mental health facility. One of them dies by suicide at a wilderness camp, leaving the other two grieving.

“It was a lightbulb moment for me,” she said. “That was like, ‘Life isn’t over. … I can reach out for help, because I don’t want to end up like this.’”

After graduating from college, Castelan, who grew up in Llano, about 75 miles northwest of Austin, was hired full-time at the Llano County Library — the same one she credits with saving her life. She was promoted from children’s librarian to head librarian in December 2021.

“It was my dream job,” the 31-year-old said of the position, from which she planned to retire. She loved story time with the children, the daily interactions with people in town, the moments of discovery.

But just a year after her promotion to head librarian, Castelan quit. Her departure came after two other library staff members left and after the firing of Suzette Baker, a librarian who is suing the county for wrongful termination. 

To read the article in its entirety visit: Texas town at center of national legal battle over book bans