Argus Panoptes

About This Project

Background: The Krause List

On October 25, 2021, Texas state Rep. Matt Krause sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency and school district superintendents across the state. He compiled a list of roughly 850 books and asked each district to report whether their schools held any of the titles, where they were located, and how much money was spent on them.

Rep. Krause explained that he was targeting materials that “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.” The titles span a range of topics including sexuality, gender identity, race, and social justice, with many aimed at young readers.

His inquiry prompted a broader national conversation about what books belong on public and school library shelves, and whether taxpayer-funded institutions should be stocking materials that many parents find objectionable for children.

What This Project Does

While Rep. Krause's original inquiry was directed at school districts, this project extends that effort to Texas public libraries. Argus Panoptes automatically scans the catalogs of 260+ public library systems across the state to determine which books from the list are currently available on their shelves.

The goal is simple transparency: to give Texas residents a clear picture of which titles from the Krause list are held by their local public libraries, how many copies exist, and whether they are currently checked out.

How It Works

The system searches for each book by ISBN across all supported library catalog platforms. For each library, it records:

  • Whether the book was found in the catalog
  • Number of copies held
  • Number of copies currently available vs. checked out
  • Which branches hold the book

Library Systems Covered

Data is collected from multiple Integrated Library System (ILS) platforms using protocol-specific adapters:

  • Apollo/Biblionix — Small and rural Texas libraries
  • SirsiDynix Enterprise — Major metro systems (Houston, San Antonio, etc.)
  • Aspen Discovery — Mid-size systems (Tyler, McKinney, Round Rock, etc.)
  • BiblioCommons — Large urban libraries (Austin, Denton, Frisco, Harris County)
  • TLC/LS2 PAC — Regional systems
  • Atriuum — Small public libraries
  • Koha/SRU — Open-source catalog systems
  • Spydus — County systems

Book Classification

Each book on the list has been classified by intended audience level (Young Children, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult) and by the topics that led to its inclusion on the Krause list (e.g., LGBTQ+ Identity, Race & Racism, Sex Education, Gender Identity). Classifications were generated using AI and reviewed for accuracy. Each classification includes a confidence score.

Limitations

  • Not all Texas public library systems are covered yet; some require API credentials not yet obtained
  • This project covers public libraries only, not school libraries (which were the target of Rep. Krause's original inquiry)
  • Catalog data is a point-in-time snapshot and may not reflect real-time availability
  • Some books may be cataloged under variant ISBNs not included in the search
  • Book classification is automated and may contain errors for lesser-known titles

Further Reading