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The Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) provides a forum for the discussion of activities, programs, and problems in intellectual freedom of libraries and librarians.

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  • 1.  Some news about the Missouri Rules Response

    Posted Nov 07, 2022 11:28 AM

    Hi all,

     

    There was a call last Friday, which Deborah Caldwell-Stone (copied) also attended.

     

    On November 9th, a website called rejecttherule.org will go live.  It will have statements from the Missouri Library Association, EveryLibrary, and others, various talking points about the unconstitutionality and onerousness of the proposed rule. For example, if parents can say their a children may not access certain materials in a library, in order to comply a library would arguably need to check every person under the age of 18 coming in to see if they were restricted; books that might be aimed at adults and kept in the adult collection might become problematic if a young person could look at them "with prurient interest,' whatever that is supposed to mean.

     

    There will be information about becoming a respondent/partner.

     

    EveryLibrary and MLA will send an open letter with arguments on the 29th.

     

    I'm not certain the IFRT can make a statement-hope we can find out about that--but each of our libraries or even we as individuals could make a statement.  Remember that it cannot come before November 15th. We are asked to share these statements with our various networks to create concern over a rule that could be copied in other states if successful. Appropriate media outreach is welcome. Social media campaigns that one may join/share will be launched.  The Roundtable could surely work with those.

     

    I have to travel on the 9th, but please do check the website.  We can discuss responses later in the week.

     

    Deborah pointed out that this rule takes advantage of the fact that the courts have ruled government funding can be make contingent upon compliance with CIPA.  Arguments against the rule will need to be carefully constructed. One might even wait for the open letter on the 29th if one wants to see the points made the, since there is a 30 day response window opening on November 15th.

     

    More details to follow.

     

    Ashcraft is apparently going to try a legislative effort. Librarians will need to work to stop this attempt at censoring library collections and intruding upon reader rights.   

     

    Michael

     

     

    Michael Blackwell

    Director, St Mary's County Library

    23630 Hayden Farm Lane

    Leonardtown, MD 20650

    301-475-2151 x5013

    Cell phone:  301-904-3048

    mblackwell@stmalib.org

     

    SMCL Logo transparent

     

     

    From: Michael Blackwell
    Sent: Friday, October 28, 2022 2:25 PM
    To: ALA-ifrtintellectualfreedomroundtable@ConnectedCommunity.org
    Subject: RE: IFRT Members Community (Open) : Disturbing development in Missouri

     

    Hi all,

     

    EveryLibrary, with which most of you are likely familiar, is working with the MLA on coordinating national partners in a public outreach campaign.  There is a call on 11/4 to talk about a coordinated effort.  I'll share details about plans then.

     

    Comments received before 11/15 are "out of order" and won't be considered.

     

    Expect a digital campaign for the 30 day comment window to start on 11/9.

     

    In the interim, may we please verify what, if anything, IFRT can do as a group?  Apparently we couldn't do a group statement on Salman Rushdie (hence the blog post). Could we sign on to a effort as a partner? Will we have to respond individually/have our libraries weigh in?

     

    Thanks for clarifying on this point.  Sorry I'm not better informed abut how we can act as a group!

     

    Michael

     

     

    Michael Blackwell

    Director, St Mary's County Library

    23630 Hayden Farm Lane

    Leonardtown, MD 20650

    301-475-2151 x5013

    Cell phone:  301-904-3048

    mblackwell@stmalib.org

     

    SMCL Logo transparent

     

     

     

    From: Ayana Looney via ALA Connect <Mail@ConnectedCommunity.org>
    Sent: Monday, October 24, 2022 12:28 PM
    To: Michael Blackwell <mblackwell@stmalib.org>
    Subject: RE: IFRT Members Community (Open) : Disturbing development in Missouri

     

    [CAUTION: EXTERNAL]

    Dear Alec McFarlane, I think Darryl Eschete has a valid point about the transparent attempt to equate "age-appropriate" with "desexualized" and...

    Image removed by sender. American Library Association

    IFRT Members Community (Open)

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    Re: Disturbing development in Missouri

    Image removed by sender. Ayana Looney

    Oct 24, 2022 11:09 AM

    Ayana Looney

    Dear Alec McFarlane,

    I think Darryl Eschete has a valid point about the transparent attempt to equate "age-appropriate" with "desexualized" and/or "lacking any mention of LGBTQ+ or racism issues." I agree that Missouri is using "age-appropriate" to remove books by and about BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people. I will incorporate some of his ideas into the short fourth paragraph later today.

    Alec, I totally agree that decision-makers are the children and the parents. Librarians have a long history of relying on publishers and publications like ALA Booklist to determine the target audience for books selected AND partnering with children and parents to help readers find their books. It could be that including information about collection development, and selection processes might improve the draft letter.

    I hope the letter will be a good template for us to use by the time the comment period opens in November. It's a small thing I can do to be a part of a solution.

    Thank you for reading,
    ~Ayana

      Forward  




  • 2.  RE: Some news about the Missouri Rules Response

    Posted Nov 07, 2022 04:37 PM
    I have wondered about a computer system where a parent  can request, book by book, what they don't want their children to read.  I know the capacity must exist. I remember it from the lawsuit in Utah in 2012, where a book (In Our Mother's House) was put behind the desk on restricted shelves.  In the end, the ACLU prevailed, with assistance I believe from Freedom to Read Foundation.  Here is the official letter from the district (available with case info) on the ACLU of Utah site.  It actually was fascinating to revisit it with eyes ten years later.  The complaints are the same, but the ACLU arguments are very strong.
    https://www.acluutah.org/sites/default/files/Revised_Request_for_Reconsideration_Opinion.pdf

    ------------------------------
    Wanda Huffaker
    Librarian
    Salt Lake County Library
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Some news about the Missouri Rules Response

    Posted Nov 08, 2022 08:38 AM

    Thanks for sharing, Wanda.

     

    Lost in all this seems to be young people's rights to read, to explore, to grow. Young people have, of course, always found a way to experience what their parents don't want them to. That Ashcroft and others are chasing after library books when so much other and more problematic content is easily available suggests they area.) swallowing camels and straining at gnats, and b.) not trusting their own children to make moral  decisions. Are their children really so easily misled? Very sad.

     

    An ILS could no doubt be tweaked to prevent an individual child form checking out individual books, but few parents will want to comb through a catalog lest some "bad" book slip through. Besides, a child might-horrors!-take a "bad" book off the shelf to read in the library. Much easier to remove everything "bad" from the library, right?

     

    Ugh.

     

    Michael      

     






  • 4.  RE: Some news about the Missouri Rules Response

    Posted Nov 08, 2022 08:16 AM

    Thank you for this update.  Was there any discussion about whether comments from libraries or library associations outside the state would be useful?  Obviously ALA is national but I am thinking here about state associations -- does the Missouri Library Association want other state associations to speak out?

    Eileen Palmer

    --  Eileen M. Palmer Executive Director Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium   27 Mayfield Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 (732) 750-2525 ext. 103 (732) 225-0910 (fax) empalmer@lmxac.org
    On 11/7/2022 12:28 PM, Michael Blackwell via ALA Connect wrote:
    010001845322d33c-dfce6f5d-9913-4492-b088-0be9ef53f27b-000000@email.amazonses.com">
    Hi all, There was a call last Friday, which Deborah Caldwell-Stone (copied) also attended. On November 9th, a website called rejecttherule... -posted to the "IFRT Members Community (Open)" community
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    IFRT Members Community (Open)

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    Some news about the Missouri Rules Response
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    Nov 7, 2022 11:28 AM
    Michael Blackwell

    Hi all,

     

    There was a call last Friday, which Deborah Caldwell-Stone (copied) also attended.

     

    On November 9th, a website called rejecttherule.org will go live.  It will have statements from the Missouri Library Association, EveryLibrary, and others, various talking points about the unconstitutionality and onerousness of the proposed rule. For example, if parents can say their a children may not access certain materials in a library, in order to comply a library would arguably need to check every person under the age of 18 coming in to see if they were restricted; books that might be aimed at adults and kept in the adult collection might become problematic if a young person could look at them "with prurient interest,' whatever that is supposed to mean.

     

    There will be information about becoming a respondent/partner.

     

    EveryLibrary and MLA will send an open letter with arguments on the 29th.

     

    I'm not certain the IFRT can make a statement-hope we can find out about that--but each of our libraries or even we as individuals could make a statement.  Remember that it cannot come before November 15th. We are asked to share these statements with our various networks to create concern over a rule that could be copied in other states if successful. Appropriate media outreach is welcome. Social media campaigns that one may join/share will be launched.  The Roundtable could surely work with those.

     

    I have to travel on the 9th, but please do check the website.  We can discuss responses later in the week.

     

    Deborah pointed out that this rule takes advantage of the fact that the courts have ruled government funding can be make contingent upon compliance with CIPA.  Arguments against the rule will need to be carefully constructed. One might even wait for the open letter on the 29th if one wants to see the points made the, since there is a 30 day response window opening on November 15th.

     

    More details to follow.

     

    Ashcraft is apparently going to try a legislative effort. Librarians will need to work to stop this attempt at censoring library collections and intruding upon reader rights.   

     

    Michael

     

     

    Michael Blackwell

    Director, St Mary's County Library

    23630 Hayden Farm Lane

    Leonardtown, MD 20650

    301-475-2151 x5013

    Cell phone:  301-904-3048

    mblackwell@stmalib.org

     

    SMCL Logo                                                 transparent

     

     




     
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