Jan Wolfe writes: “On December 8, the US Supreme Court opted not to hear an appeal by a group of residents of Llano County, Texas, of a judicial decision allowing local officials to remove 17 books that these officials deemed objectionable from public libraries. The justices let stand the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision allowing the removal of books, including ones dealing with themes of race and LGBT identity, from its public library system. The decision applies to Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, but does not set a nationwide legal precedent.”