Librarians could be jailed and fined under a proposed censorship law – By Nicole Cooke (The Conversation) / Feb 28 2020
A bill pending in Missouri’s legislature takes aim at libraries and librarians who are making “age-inappropriate sexual material” available to children.
The measure, championed by Ben Baker, a Republican lawmaker, calls for establishing review boards who would determine whether materials in libraries contain or promote “nudity, sexuality, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse.” In addition, the boards, which would be comprised of parents, would root out materials lacking “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
Librarians who defy the review boards by buying and lending such materials would be subject to misdemeanor charges, fines upward of US$500, and a potential jail sentence up to one year.
As a librarian, and now as an educator who teaches aspiring librarians, I see this bill as the latest chapter in a long history of books being banned from public and school libraries.
Censorship and book banning
Often, efforts to censor and muzzle libraries originate with members of the public rather than public officials or school leaders.
Continue to article: https://theconversation.com/librarians-could-be-jailed-and-fined-under-a-proposed-censorship-law-130682
