One of the first books banned and later burned in the New World was in 1650. It was a religious critique of the Puritans and later became the first book banned in Boston. Books continue to be banned in school and public libraries across the United States. Libraries are sometimes caught in the middle of heated public debates over morality, sexuality, religion, and other cultural, social, and political issues. In 2023, the state of Texas was banning more books than any other, eliminating libraries, and, as a result, negatively affecting its poorest communities such as Eagle Pass.