“There is more than one way to burn a book,” wrote Ray Bradbury in his dystopian classic “Fahrenheit 451.”
This unfortunately timeless insight has renewed relevance yet again as two states — Missouri and Tennessee — consider legislation that would sanction the censorship of public libraries.
Proposed by Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker, the Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act would establish parental review boards, elected at local town meetings, that would have the authority to determine what library materials are appropriate for minors to check out. (Librarians would be explicitly prohibited from serving on the panels.) The boards would be on the lookout for items that contain or promote “nudity, sexuality, sexual conduct, sexual excitement or sadomasochistic abuse,” and any items that meet this criteria would have to be removed from public access by minors.
Any librarian who ignores the board by buying or lending such materials to minors could be subject to misdemeanor charges, a fine of up to $500 and up to one year in jail.
In other words, Mr. Baker’s bill would allow towns to empower a small group of adults to censor public libraries, using their supposedly superior taste to dictate what others may read, watch or hear.
This transparent attempt at book banning and state-sanctioned censorship evidently appealed to two Tennessee lawmakers — state Rep. Andy Holt and state Sen. Paul Bailey — who introduced a near-identical version of the bill in the Tennessee Legislature. Similar bills were also considered recently in Colorado and Maine, though both failed to gain support.
This is, of course, not the first time libraries have been targeted by would-be censors. Many classic works of literature — including Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and George Orwell’s “1984” — as well as contemporary favorites, such as J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, have drawn the ire of people who believe their sensibilities should be the standard for their community.
But the desire to, in the words of the late Justice William Brennan, “prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion or other matter of opinion,” is completely at odds with the robust marketplace of ideas guaranteed by the First Amendment and supported by our libraries.
Organizations like the American Library Association and PEN America have rightfully voiced strong objection to the proposed bills in Missouri and Tennessee. “The belief that a small group of parents know what is best for every family in their community denies the very real fact that each community is made up of families and individuals with diverse beliefs, identities and values,” wrote the ALA in a recent statement.
Lawmakers throughout the country should follow suit by not only rejecting laws that propose to censor public libraries, but also putting forward their own plans to support and bolster the work of libraries. Public libraries are vital to the health of our democracy and the intellectual development of our country, and they need legislative and financial support so they can continue to serve their vital civic function.
The astronomer Carl Sagan said it well: “The health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.”
First Published: March 10, 2020, 10:00 a.m.
