Are Public Libraries Becoming Children’s Libraries? A Report on the Unintended Consequences of Censorship via 404 Media

I talk about censorship and preserving the Freedom to Read here often, but not as often as Kelly Jensen tirelessly covers the issue over on Book Riot. Click here for the Book Riot censorship archives. I have pointed to her coverage many times. [Use my censorship tag for examples]. 

What I love about how Kelly has been covering the deterioration of our Freedom to Read is that she doesn't just report on the actions, she writes articles about what these censorship actions do, how they affect everyone in our country, and how they are changing the entire library landscape no matter where you live. I hate saying I love this about her coverage because I hate that she has to do it, but I am thankful we have her working on it for 6 years and counting.

She is inspiring others to look at the implications of these challenges and the laws that have sprung up. She is also inspiring others to use FOIA for good. The book banners FOIA us all the time, but people like Kelly, and now 404 Media, are using FOPIA to fight against censorship.

[Side note, I am on the Illinois Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee and we are talking about creating a program about this exactly. Too many libraries are afraid of getting FOIA requests because usually it is from nefarious people, but people like Kelly Jensen and 404 Media are using FOIA to help us protect intellectual freedom and to expose how horrible the book banners are. We are trying to flip the script and remind those of us on the side of protecting intellectual freedom that FOIA is there for everyone!]

Speaking of 404 Media, they just released a long piece about the implications of censorship. The title, "Are Public Libraries Becoming Children’s Libraries?" is provocative, but the article goes into a very deep dive here about how public library collections are going to be decimated over time. Specifically because libraries are complying with laws that say they have to move children's' material that non-professionals (citizens) have deemed "adult" to the adult sections, not only will kids and teens not find those books, not check them out, meaning that they will get weeded for non used, but also, adult sections will become filled with kids materials, turning adults off from browsing.

There is a lot more here, and they have looked at libraries all across America. They have shared the records they have obtained via FOIA, including collection policies with the track changes turned on. 

Please read this article and aways follow Kelly Jensen's censorship coverage on Book Riot. And please, fight, do not give in to the book banners. Our biggest issue is our supportive public has been unwilling to fight for us as hard or in as an organized a fashion as those who want to stop any of us from having intellectual freedom. 

As wee head into the ALA Conference starting up on Friday, this is the issue we should be focusing on. Fuck AI and all the programs about how we need to embrace it. We still haven't stopped our intellectual Freedom from being undermined. And, in fact, it is only going to get worse according to the 404 Media report.

Speaking of ALA Annual, I will be back tomorrow with information on how everyone-- whether you are joining us in Chicago or not-- can get resources from the conference.