…allows parents or guardians to lodge complaints against materials they deem inappropriate for minors. Once a complaint has been filed, public and school libraries have a total of 60 days to relocate the material to a section that is only accessible to adults. If they do not comply, those parents or guardians can receive $250 in statutory damages, alongside other financial relief for damages.
In response, the Donnelly Public Library of Donnelly, Idaho is becoming “Adults Only” on July 1, 2024.
They will continue their After-School Programming and Summer Programming. But instead of having access to the library itself, all attendees would have to have a parent or guardian sign an agreement that their child can be part of the program and that they would have access to reading materials “carefully curated by library staff” specifically related to the program.
“This does not mean we are getting rid of our children’s books! It simply means your children cannot be in the library without you the parent,” Scheline clarified in a comment under the library’s official post. “We have 1024 square feet. We don’t have space to make anything inaccessible. Our bathroom is our craft room, also our kitchen, also our private meeting room. We have done everything we can within our power to comply.”
Thanks right wingers. As usual, a handful of fuckwits ruined something nice for everybody. I’m guessing their next brilliant move is to protest the “Adults Only” rule.
I do applaud the library’s “fuck you” to them. They’ll never admit that’s what it is, but it is.
I like this in the sense that it’s a huge middle finger to book banners, and it’s an incentive to force them to take and active hand in their community and children’s education.
OTOH, I don’t like the fact that the children who need access to the library the most are the least likely to receive it now. I just don’t see people calling for bans as being the type to take personal interest in their children’s education.
My reading about the “bathroom” thing was that it was a small room with an attached single bathroom on it. Don’t think public bathroom, think a small room with a sink and a toilet and maybe a hand dryer of some kind. And for “kitchen” think a small fridge sitting next to a microwave.
The article says the library is only 1,024 square feet. That seems extremely small to me for a library. I’ve lived in houses bigger than that.
Why are conservatines banning books? Surely the solution here isn’t more government regulation? This is the perfect Free Market opportunity! Found your own library, only stock “child appropriate” books, and market it accordingly! Surely all the good Christian parents will bring their kids by your library instead, and you will make a fortune!
But the people complaining are usually not the ones actually using the library. Hopefully this will inconvenience enough parents to catalyze some change in the other direction.
I’m pretty sure that many if not most hard core conservatives would agree with this provided you shut down all of the public libraries first. If a child’s family can’t afford books, then those children shouldn’t be lollygagging around reading, they should be working in a factory as god intended.
Okay, some of us must live in Idaho. Just go to any library and lodge a complaint against the Bible. If every Idaho Library has to take the Bible- all version of course- off the shelves- those numbbrains in the spud state will repeal that stupid law - and fast. Oh and all Bible stories, too, those meant to indoctrinate kids.
