Illinois about to ban book banning

Or we can just trust that professional librarians know what they are doing more than half-literate political activists.

Of course not every book is age appropriate, that’s why there are different sections in libraries for smaller children and for young adult readers! While not every book is age appropriate, I’d rather the professional librarian follow their professional practices to dictate this rather than big guv establishing “lists” of books or giving nutjob political activists too much power to have books challenged/pulled from shelves.

 

That’s what this does. It kicks the power back down to the librarian, the librarian controls the books in the library, no? Although the wording might be too vague. Let’s say a librarian orders a book then later decides it’s legitimately not appropriate (not because of some crazy political activists, but a legit professional call). Of course they should be able to do that! Sounds like the bill might be overly broad if it would punish a public library in that sort of scenario - where they are just trying to be responsive and professional.

 

Maybe it does. But the way the OP described it made it sound like it barred librarians from pulling any books off the shelf. I guess I should read the text of the law.

 

I’m not calling on the activists to have disproportionate power, I am saying librarians aren’t infallible and it’s ok to question them sometimes. Not sure how that’s even remotely controversial.
If a librarian puts a book out with a sex scene that an 8 year old can read, are we supposed to say “well we have to trust her and it’s against the law to remove it”? It’s a dumb law because it has zero gray in it if how it’s being oriented is accurate. Just like the zero tolerance laws that had kids expelled for bringing aspirin to school a while back.

 

Librarians have bosses, dude. Report it up the chain.

 

This is not the way to fight the Reich wing

 

Poor Illinois children, unprotected

 

It just says libraries must adopt the ALA Bill of Rights, or create their own.

That BOR just says libraries should serve all members of the community and not reject books based on political screeching and culture wars.

Library Bill of Rights

“Banning” a book is far different than choosing not to carry it. There is practically no way to support an outright ban.

If the library three miles away shelved a book I found truly objectionable, I would attempt to persuade them to CHOOSE to take it out, not end-run it by signing onto a police state.

But I actually am not even aware of such a book. If that same library started trying to erase The Gay, it would be an obvious disservice to the community as a whole, and a clear violation of liberty. Perhaps there is a library somewhere that serves zero non-straight people and eliminating The Gay would be SORTA more justifiable. Although also IMO, a disservice. You don’t need to be a member of the tribe to have the right to participate in things that tribe is voluntarily sharing. I’d live the most narrow life possible in that paradigm, since I’m basically as conventional and white as it gets.

Which is also exactly what The Commanders are trying to achieve. One variance-free path in life, no exceptions. Well, except for those same authoritarians, who have the resources to stray from the path at will. The Path is just for the masses.