Mayor Jodi Miller is putting forth the appointment of Renee Blazeski (also known as, Robin Renee Blazeski) to serve as a trustee on the Freeport Public Library.  Blazeski’s appointment would be from September 8, 2026, until May 31, 2028, to fulfill the 3- year term of another trustee stepping down.  Blazeski has recently made public comments at Library Trustee meetings (June 10th and July 8th) requesting that the library’s collection be reviewed.  This language is often an indirect correlation to reviewing materials to be banned from the library.   In Illinois, public libraries practicing banning materials are no longer eligible for grant funding (HB2789 of the 103rd General Assembly).  This appointment by Mayor Miller demonstrates a lack of understanding of Illinois law regarding public funding; or it is known, and keeping the library funded is not a concern.    

Call to action: Email the Mayor at: jmiller@cityoffreeport.org
 

Dear Mayor Jodi Miller,

I am writing to express my concern about your recent appointment of Renee Blazeski to the Freeport Public Library Board of Trustees.

During public comments at the trustees’ meetings in June and July, Ms. Blazeski made statements encouraging the library’s collection to be reviewed. While reviewing a library collection can sound reasonable on its face, such efforts can also become a pathway to restricting or removing materials based on their content. I believe this is an issue that deserves careful consideration, particularly given the implications for intellectual freedom and the library’s eligibility for state funding.

As I understand it, Illinois HB 2789, enacted during the 103rd General Assembly, establishes requirements concerning book bans and the eligibility of public libraries for state grants. Freeport cannot afford to jeopardize access to state funding, particularly at a time when our community needs to make responsible use of every available resource.

More importantly, decisions about what individuals and families choose to read should not be made by government-appointed officials on behalf of the entire community. Restricting access to information limits an individual’s ability to make personal choices and decisions. Although efforts to remove or restrict books are sometimes presented as a way of protecting children, parents—not government officials or library trustees—should have the primary responsibility for determining what is appropriate for their own children.

Parents are capable of making informed decisions about the materials their children access. They should not have those decisions made for them by people their families may never meet.

For these reasons, I respectfully ask you to reconsider and withdraw your appointment of Renee Blazeski to the Library Board of Trustees. I believe Freeport needs library trustees who will protect intellectual freedom, preserve broad access to information, and ensure that our public library remains eligible for all available sources of funding.

I appreciate your consideration of this important matter and hope you will take the concerns of Freeport residents seriously.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

References: 

From June 10, 2026: Renee Blazeski attended to make a public comment. She raised questions about the Meeting Room policy and voiced other concerns about the collection. (Freeport Public Library, June 10, 2026, III. Questions or Comments from the Public/Media.) https://www.freeportpubliclibrary.org/board-meetings#docaccess-211c071e3cae2e3042c6e443ab82297a

From July 8, 2026: Renee Blazeski attended the meeting to voice her concerns and follow up on her request regarding the collection from the last meeting.  (Freeport Public Library, July 8, 2026, III. Questions or Comments from the Public/Media.)  https://www.freeportpubliclibrary.org/board-meetings#docaccess-6718ced6670d903b1e542865f71f1e7a

City of Freeport Council Agenda for September 8, 2026: 6. Appointment Presented by Mayor Miller - Appointment of Renee Blazeski to the Library Board to replace a vacant seat effective immediately through May 31, 2028.   (Freeport City Council Meeting, Agenda, Item 6, 2026).  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AXmCeolSVjoebeNKdZEuR_5akybZDiAI/view

HB2789 (103rd General Assembly 2023-2024)

 
    Sec. 8.7. State grants; book banning. In order to be 
 
 eligible for State grants, a library or library system shall 
  
adopt the American Library Association's Library Bill of 
  
Rights that indicates materials should not be proscribed or 
  
removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval or, in 
  
the alternative, develop a written statement prohibiting the 
  
practice of banning books or other materials within the 
  
library or library system. 

   https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?GAID=17&DocNum=2789&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=147915&SessionID=112
Report on banning in public libraries: https://www.ila.org/advocacy/unite-against-book-bans-in-illinois