In an update to the story I posted earlier today, the Tulsa City-County Library has added a page of links about the legislation to its website. It includes links to the current text of the bill and the relevant statutes, but also has TCCL’s official position statement. The library commission’s chairman has this to say:
The public library distributes books and other media which are broadly representative of human thought. In a diverse, pluralistic democracy not everyone will believe or like what they read. Library materials are representative of all social, political, religious and cultural points of views. Homosexuality is a reality. What would prevent other topics of reality from becoming off limits to young people who are free citizens entitled to free exercise of speech and thought?
Oklahoma libraries also gained an ally in one of the state’s major newspapers. The Daily Oklahoman published an editorial on Friday condemning the legislation.
We find it ironic that the bill said each policy should “reflect the contemporary community standard of the community the library is located in.” In putting the bill on a path to becoming law, lawmakers are taking away such local control and substituting it with their judgment. It’s not the Legislature’s job to tell libraries which books to stock and where to put them. Local library boards are capable of making decisions on whether restricted access is necessary.
Bravo!
Bravo to William C. Kellough for his eloquent response to this legislative challenge!
It’s unfortunate that, with all the serious problems that they could be talking about in the Oklahoma Legislature, they chose this as a problem to legislate.
Honestly, it makes me want to shake someone. Why on earth would any one want to effectively sanitize all the adult holdings in a library? Most of happiest times as a precocious child were spend perusing the adult sections of the library! Rather than corrupting my development, I actually learned a few things!
hhhmmmm
Karl, you are posting as an individual private citizen, and not as an employee of the Tulsa City-County Library system, correct?
See you at work on Monday!
Re:hhhmmmm
I quote our Public Relations manager’s e-mail: “It is urgent that you educate yourself, your staff and your customers on Oklahoma House Bill 2158.”
I am acting in both capacities, I think. Both as a librarian, educating my colleagues and the public, and as a private citizen.