Thousands of books have been placed on a ‘bounty’ under a controversial Idaho law banning children from entering public libraries.
Legislation passed by conservative lawmakers allows parents to sue libraries for books they deem obscene or otherwise inappropriate.
Public and school libraries had 60 days to remove the book or move it to an adults-only area closely monitored by staff, or face lawsuits from parents.
However, many libraries were too small to create a special section, or lacked the resources or appetite for risk, and instead banned kids entirely.
A sign in the Idaho Falls Public Library, with a huge stop symbol, informed patrons they would need to show photo ID if they were under 30.
Children could only enter if they had an unrestricted library card signifying their parents were happy with them browsing alone, or be accompanied by a parent who ‘must sign an affidavit every time you come to the library’.
The sign sparked outrage online, and many critics contrasted it with abortions being banned under almost all circumstances, including rape and incest.
Donnelly Public Library, north of Boise, said it would have an adults-only policy because it was too small to conform to the law.
Using the bathroom or participating in a program that requires parents to sign a waiver cannot be done without parental escorting.
”Our size prohibits us from separating our ‘grown up’ books to be out of the accessible range of children,’ it said.
‘Because we don’t have an attorney on retainer, we can’t take those chances. We need to let it be fought out by somebody other than a small and rural library.’
Idaho: where a 13 year old is forced to carry out pregnancy but can’t go to the library pic.twitter.com/oVxB0x3RR4
— zilla (@puppybf2103) July 1, 2024
Library officials acknowledged the policy would affect homeschooled children in a ‘dramatic’ way but said it was necessary to protect staff, the library, and taxpayers’ funds.
According to Rep. Megan Egbert, keeping libraries like Donnelly open would be impossible if adult-only sections could not be fully monitored.
‘We’re talking about one-room libraries throughout Idaho that might have one paid staff member, or they might be all volunteer. It’s not doable for many of them, she said.
The law allows parents to sue libraries and their staff for $250, plus ‘any other relief available by law’ – making potential damages uncapped.
Several right-wing groups, including Parents Against Bad Books, have been pushing for years to ban children’s access to ‘X-rated’ and ‘pornographic’ books.
Post a Comment