Public libraries in the U.S. are under increasing scrutiny.
Last year, the American Library Association reported a record number of book challenges, topping nearly 1,600 books.
"How a book on a shelf could be a threat to anyone is beyond us. Libraries are for voluntary reading. Libraries are for choice. They're a resource we should fiercely protect and preserve."
Efforts are also more aggressive. Several communities have voted to stop funding their public libraries. In others:
"There's been a few instances where there have been physical threats or, for example, the library in Montana that found books in their book dropped that had been riddled with bullets."
Today, On Point: Protecting America's public libraries.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. She works on projects "addressing censorship and privacy in the library."
Patrick Sweeney, political director of EveryLibrary, the first and only national political action committee for libraries. He is also the former Administrative Librarian of the Sunnyvale Public Library in California.
George M. Johnson, author of All Boys Arent Blue. The book is a young adult non-fiction memoir about Johnson's journey growing up as a queer Black man in America. Its the third most challenged book of 2021 out of nearly 1,600 books. It has been targeted for removal in at least 14 states. (@IamGMJohnson)
Kimber Glidden, director of the Boundary County Library in Idaho.
On the climate in American libraries
Deborah Caldwell-Stone: "We're seeing the result of a divisive campaign intended to limit everyone's access to information, to really sanction one viewpoint, one political view, one approach to information, to prevent everyone from having the ability to make choices for themselves.
"We're observing organized advocacy groups try to impose an agenda on libraries to change policies, to ban books, to really limit the ability of the public library to serve as a community resource that meets the information needs of everyone in the community, but instead limits their offerings to what's approved by a few political groups in the community. And this has had very real consequences for libraries across the country.
"We're seeing contentious board meetings. We're seeing librarians actually charged in criminal court with pandering obscenity to minors. And we're also working with libraries, closely monitoring situationslike you've described, where there's been an effort to either defund the library or take over the library board in order to impose a particular agenda."
In Jamestown Township, Michigan, voters voted to defund the Patmos Library.
The library has 67,000 books, videos and other items. There were only about 90 titles voters had a problem with. Why were they willing to risk the whole library over that tiny fraction number of titles?
Deborah Caldwell-Stone: "We're seeing the result of a lot of disinformation and misinformation about libraries, how librarians work and the content of the books. For example, I absolutely reject the idea that books that deal with puberty, human reproduction, sexual health, developing good relationships have anything to do with what's called grooming. That's a falsehood that's spread by a number of advocacy groups that really have an anti-pornography, anti-LGBTQIA agenda.
"And these talking points are picked up. People don't have any basis to question them. And as a result, they are encouraged to act on that false information when they participate in elections. You know, and it's also a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of public libraries as a whole. These are community institutions that are intended to serve everyone in the community. And we know that we live in a rapidly diversifying society, that there are all kinds of people in every community that have different information needs.
"And so the library, by its nature, is going to be acquiring works that represent a variety of ideas, viewpoints, including books you might not agree with. That you might not give to your own child, but another family, another parent would want their child to read. And there's this loss of civic engagement, community feeling where we share a resource. And we understand there's a book on the shelf that is there for me. But by its very nature, the library is also going to have books on the shelf that I don't agree with, but I tolerate that. I understand that, because that means that the library will be there for me, as well, to serve my information needs.
"And we're seeing a real loss of that community, of that understanding of the library as a community institution. And the loss can be so great. A public library is essential for not only for reading books, but, you know, many, many times it's the community's portal to the internet. It supports home schooling. It supports the ability to train for new jobs, to find new jobs. It supports small businesses in the community. It's a real resource. It can help seniors with applying for Social Security.
"You know, the public library has really turned into that place, that third place you go to. Not only to read a murder mystery, but also where you can find support and information to live your best life, to find work to support your family. ... If you're a young adult, it's the place you can go to prepare to go into college, to enter the military, to start a successful career."
On defunding libraries for political leverage
Patrick Sweeney:"I think it is fundraising and getting elected. You know, we are seeing that the governors who we are seeing surfacing themselves to run for president are the ones that are beating the indoctrination and grooming drums the most. Speaking of Idaho, Heather Scott in Idaho had the Panhandle Patriots come to a meeting where she was talking about the grooming indoctrination of children who said that they weren't scared of librarians and they defend against librarians.
"Librarians are average age over 40 and 80% female. So these open carry highly militant organizations are going to shoot a 48 year old female librarian over some books. But what we're seeing is that talk was really about fundraising. It was really about riling her base. It was really about her getting the resources she need to move her personal agenda forward. You know, I think that's the most terrifying thing, how effective these lies have become in order to raise money. And so disconnect and divisiveness in our country simply for short term political gain."
On what we stand to lose when libraries are under threat
George M. Johnson: "We literally just go back to our origins, when we start to deny the ability of reading and writing. And that's what it really is, right? We're trying to literally deny an ability for people to read and people to write. And that is something that my ancestors know about very well, because we were denied that ability to read and write. It was illegal for people like me to be able to read and write in the 1800's and in the 1700's in this country. And so when we are specifically targeting books by Black people, books by queer people, we are going back to this country's origins, which is interesting.
"Because that's the whole tagline, right? Make America Great Again. And it's like, But at what point are you speaking of? Are you speaking before Black people had civil rights? Are you speaking of during slavery? Are you speaking of when the indigenous people? Like what point was it great for the people who you're literally targeting right now? And so even like when we hear those type of statements, we know exactly what the dog whistle is, too. And so when you start to say, Well, we're going to remove these specific books and we're going to start to remove these specific talking points.
"What you are really saying is that there is a second class and a third class of citizen that exists in this country, and we are going to remove the materials that make them powerful, that make other people want to know about these people, and that make other people build those bridges of empathy towards these people. Because the danger is if we lose our power as the majority, oh my God, there might actually be equity and equality. And that's not what we want. We don't want equity inequality. Like who would want that when we've been in power for so long? And so that's really the danger in removing that. It's like the onion and we just keep peeling away layers. First it's books. Then it's our rights. Then what's next?"
See the original post here:
Censorship wars: Why have several communities voted to defund their public libraries? - WBUR News
- Geologists raise concerns over possible censorship and bias in Chinese chatbot - The Guardian - June 26th, 2024
- Cancelling Kehinde Wiley shows 'does a disservice to the audiences', anti-censorship group claims - Art Newspaper - June 26th, 2024
- John Olivers UK Election Roast Escapes Censor; Sky To Stream Last Week Tonight Episode Online - Deadline - June 26th, 2024
- Only the most neutral titles - Meduza - June 26th, 2024
- ACLU and ACLU of South Carolina Sound Alarm on Sweeping New Book Ban Law - ACLU of South Carolina - June 26th, 2024
- A Small-Town Texas Librarian's Big Stand Against Book Bans - The Texas Observer - June 26th, 2024
- Trump, Censorship, and Abortion: Key SCOTUS Rulings Anticipated This Week - WLS - June 26th, 2024
- Adjust privacy settings in Microsoft Edge - Microsoft Support - June 10th, 2024
- Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC - June 10th, 2024
- Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support - June 10th, 2024
- Israel's Military Censor Seems to Be Protecting Netanyahu, Not National Security - Opinion - Haaretz - June 10th, 2024
- Teacher Li: The hunt for the cartoon cat vexing China's censors - BBC.com - June 10th, 2024
- Librarians Celebrate Comics in the Face of Censorship - Publishers Weekly - June 10th, 2024
- The balancing act of censorship The Mirror - The Mirror - June 10th, 2024
- Boundaries of Expression podcast: Tiananmen Square and 35 years of censorship - ARTICLE 19 - ARTICLE 19 - June 10th, 2024
- 35 years on, Tiananmen memory eroded by Chinese censorship and Sino-U.S. rivalry - The Japan Times - June 10th, 2024
- Censorship - Suppression, Expression, Liberty | Britannica - June 2nd, 2024
- Stanford, Silicon Valley, and the Rise of the Censorship Industrial Complex - RealClearInvestigations - June 2nd, 2024
- Censorship Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary - June 2nd, 2024
- The Classic X-Men: The Animated Series Moment Only Allowed ONCE by Censors - CBR - June 2nd, 2024
- Tom Gauld on censorship cartoon | Books - The Guardian - June 2nd, 2024
- Heres how Congress can help stop backdoor government censorship - The Hill - June 2nd, 2024
- Teen Defies Censorship: hands over a copy of Handmaid's Tale at Grad - Good e-Reader - June 2nd, 2024
- Israel's growing media censorship of the Gaza war - The New Arab - June 2nd, 2024
- Jay Leno says censorship cant change comedy: If its really funny, all bets are off - Fox News - June 2nd, 2024
- A Colombian Song, Garca Mrquez Idolatry And The Sins Of Censorship - Worldcrunch - June 2nd, 2024
- Book bans are hellish weapons of censorship and false narrative building - The Mirror - June 2nd, 2024
- Educators have 'serious concerns' over bill that OEA says will censor books in schools - WFMJ - June 2nd, 2024
- Censorship - The New York Times - May 15th, 2024
- Americas unseen book bans: the long history of censorship in prisons - The Guardian US - May 15th, 2024
- The TikTok ban is censorship and should not be celebrated - Kykernel.com - May 15th, 2024
- Stellar Blade studio head says outfit redesigns were intentional, not censorship: "Just because the costumes are vulgar ... - Gamesradar - May 15th, 2024
- Fizz bug temporarily censors some terms related to Israel-Gaza war - The Stanford Daily - May 15th, 2024
- What's Wrong With PEN America, and Why We Need It To Survive - Literary Hub - May 15th, 2024
- Book Censorship: What Are the Reasons Behind It? - The Portugal News - May 15th, 2024
- Censorship And The Crisis Of Bourgeois Legitimacy - Countercurrents.org - May 15th, 2024
- New Hampshire donut censorship and the 'speech police': Local bakery sues over ruling that student-painted mural ... - Fortune - April 11th, 2024
- ACLU of Michigan tracking book bans and censorship in the state - WNEM - April 11th, 2024
- The Foreign Policy Blob Has Launched a 'War on Wrongthink' - Daily Signal - April 11th, 2024
- Meta is accused of censoring a non-profit newspaper and an independent journalist who criticized the company - CNN - April 11th, 2024
- Opinion | Conversations and insights about the moment. - The New York Times - April 11th, 2024
- Unveiling the unseen: Confronting book bans and educational censorship - The Justice - April 11th, 2024
- Will 'Monkey Man' Even Be Released in India? An Uphill Battle with Censors Awaits Opinion - IndieWire - April 11th, 2024
- Elon Musk threatens to out top Brazil judge as alleged traitor - Fortune - April 11th, 2024
- We have reached the limit. Clash with Elon Musk prompts calls for social media controls in Brazil - CNN - April 11th, 2024
- RFK Jr.s demons, and the bogus beef about Bidens censorship | Moran - NJ.com - April 11th, 2024
- Index on Censorship appoints Jemimah Steinfeld as its new Chief Executive Officer - Index on Censorship - April 11th, 2024
- Philadelphia Court Reinstates Israeli Film Screening Amid Accusations of Censorship and Backlash - Hoodline - April 11th, 2024
- Elon Finally Finds A Government He's Willing To Stand Up To: When The Censorship Demands Target His Political Allies - Techdirt - April 11th, 2024
- ALA Releases Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 - Publishers Weekly - April 11th, 2024
- X-Men: The Animated Series was defined by its censors - Polygon - March 21st, 2024
- Why is the Biden administration reviving one of Trump's worst censorship policies? - Slate - March 21st, 2024
- The Beginning of the End for the Censorship-Industrial Complex? - National Review - March 21st, 2024
- The censorship industry and it's connection to Israel - Cleveland Jewish News - March 21st, 2024
- RFK: I dont think the government should be involved in social media, accuses Biden of censorship - The Hill - March 21st, 2024
- IntelBrief: Implications of China-Russia Cooperation on Censorship and Disinformation - The Soufan Center - March 21st, 2024
- How Trump's Allies Are Winning the War Over Disinformation - The New York Times - March 21st, 2024
- Banning TikTok is just the first step to censorship - Point Park Globe - March 21st, 2024
- Justices appear to side with government on social media censorship - Fox News - March 21st, 2024
- #973 The Musk of Censorship - Canadaland - March 21st, 2024
- Elon Musk calls X number one source of news in the worldand also a hardcore, player versus player platform - Fortune - March 21st, 2024
- RFK Jr.: Government shouldnt have role in social media moderation - NewsNation Now - March 21st, 2024
- Censorship and the Digital Public Square - RealClearPolitics - March 21st, 2024
- Supreme Court Weighs Limits of First Amendment in NRA and Tech Censorship Cases Amid 'Ministry of Truth' Fears - The New York Sun - March 21st, 2024
- Judge Jeanine: This censorship case will be huge - Fox News - March 21st, 2024
- Parler's New Owners Swear This Time Will Be Different - WIRED - March 21st, 2024
- SCOTUS to hear case alleging federal government censorship - KSDK.com - March 21st, 2024
- EFF Opposes California Initiative That Would Cause Mass Censorship - EFF - February 25th, 2024
- Quote of the Day: Fifteen Months Later, Despite 50 Alterations and Deletions, Censors Have Yet to Approve This Film. - China Digital Times - February 25th, 2024
- X disagrees with Centres censorship orders, calls for greater transparency - The Indian Express - February 25th, 2024
- How Bad Is Academic Censorship, Really? - The Chronicle of Higher Education - February 25th, 2024
- Social Media Users say their Palestine Content is being Shadow-Banned -- How to Know if it's Happening to You - Informed Comment - February 25th, 2024
- The blatant censorship of the 2023 Hugo Awards - Observer Online - February 25th, 2024
- Censorship for minors is not the solution | Opinion - PantherNOW - February 25th, 2024
- Zimbabwe Army Accused of Forcing Investigative Outlet to Self-Censor - Voice of America - VOA News - February 25th, 2024
- The Library of Translations: An exploration of censorship and desensitization in We Had To Remove This Post - The Student Life - February 25th, 2024
- The Kids Online Safety Act will censor student journalists - Freedom of the Press Foundation - February 25th, 2024
- Librarians could be criminally charged over 'obscene' books in West Virginia bill - ABC News - February 25th, 2024
- Meet the modern-day censors, wielding their purse-strings over artists and their work - The Guardian - February 25th, 2024
- Bills clarify that parental notice not meant to censor books - Richmond Times-Dispatch - February 25th, 2024