A library has been banned from doing a Banned Book display!

[thewayne]

Oh my Effing Gee!

Public libraries have been coming under a ridiculous amount of fire, the worst that I've recently heard is a town DEFUNDING THEIR LIBRARY! I can't imagine a more stupid thing to do!

Well, in this case, a library admin decided to not allow a banned book display! I don't know if they wanted to avoid controversy or what. I'm not sure if this was a city-level decision or within the actual library administration hierarchy. And the Reddit poster did not say which library or where it was.

Still, heck of a thing. The suggestions posted to sidestep it are brilliant! I think my favorite was the Ted Cruz Book Club!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Libraries/comments/wm5goj/weve_been_banned_from_doing_a_banned_books

Comments

[conuly]

But the real villains here are the lefty snowflakes with their cAnCeL cUlTuRe!!!1!!!1!!!1111

[thewayne]

But of course!

Wow

[dauntless_heart]

Talk about there are none so blind...

Re: Wow

[thewayne]

Yep.

[gingeriana]

I think i've read about this case on BBB
something about school parents going after the evil library with its evil-evil books
and it was either Florida, or one of Carolinas
(why i am not surprised)

[silveradept]

I mean, the Banned Books idea has mostly been a campaign to discourage both the public and the government from thinking certain ideas need to be suppressed in society, and you can see how well that's going over at the moment.

I think the library establishment may eventually come around to the idea that not every point of view needs representation in every library. At which point I expect to see a lot more campaigns to unfund the library for not catering to every whim of the most reactionary conservative in their service area.

So displays about historical books that have been banned and aren't now should probably be shelved in favor of displays about material that is currently being targeted and why people who want to do that kind of restriction need to examine themselves and the reasons why they want material restricted. It may not win any hearts and minds, but it'll be better than the carnival atmosphere of previous years, where libraries were trying to reassure their readers that "of course only wingnuts, fringe people, and the uncivilized are trying to get materials banned. Why would anyone believe otherwise?"

[thewayne]

To me, the big problem is discouraging critical and creative thinking.  It was a plank in the Texas Republican Party platform a few years back until it became public knowledge, then it was quickly yanked.  Libraries contain squicky information, but no one is requiring that you look at or borrow that info.  If you need it, it's there for you and we'll help you find it and let you borrow it without judgement.  Even if it's 50 Shades or sparkly vampires. I love the fact that teens are independently starting banned book reading clubs simply to screw with the adults messing with libraries.  I hope they continue their activism and take over library and school boards when they're older.

[silveradept]

I would love to see those teenagers taking over as well. I'm a bit concerned that it'll be the Purity Brigade instead, either as the library board or as the legislators and officials.

"Nobody is forcing you to look at it" used to be the standard compromise about having materials in the library that weren't to everyone's taste. Since these states have decided to abandon that as the compromise and start saying that material that merely contains a thing is now unsuitable for anyone, it would be nice if library collections could respond in kind and start removing all the things they've been keeping, even though they found them distasteful.

If libraries are going to start being treated like this, we may as well live down to the reputation and keep what they want gone and get rid of what they want kept, to be the liberal bastion we're accused of being.

[disneydream06]

This country is so F'ed up. :o :o :o
Hugs, Jon