The Unbelievable Thing Happening In Libraries Nationwide
Limiting views are infecting the nation's libraries. Contentions have risen and debates have erupted nationwide.
This article is more than 2 years old
Long before Trump was in office, right-wing discussions about education have consistently occurred to remove supposed harmful or unnecessary pedagogy from American schools. But in 2022, a new conservative push to ban books from public libraries nationwide is taking over the education discourse. One of the best examples of this push comes from monthly meetings at the Lafayette Library Board of Control, where conservative activists consistently demand the removal of controversial literature.
For a party that demonizes public censorship, republicans are very invested in eliminating resources and books that go against their perception of reality. At libraries around the country, conservatives look for an overhaul of their directory, believing that some of these controversial books depict pornography. At the Lafayette library board meetings, patrons recently stepped up to combat the conservative groups’ condemnation of LGBTQ+ celebration.
Over the past year, the board has acted in ways to combat LBGTQ+ education and history. The library’s usual display for Pride Month was canceled this year since presentations for any particular group have been forbidden. The board also tried to fire one of the librarians for putting up a poster about queer teen romance novels, apparently going against the rules of the conservative board. The past several months have seen plenty of dissenters occupy the library meetings to challenge the board’s bigoted viewpoint. In sacred spaces like libraries, it’s unfortunate that protecting their catalog would become such a controversial move.
For many, the right-wing hold over this library is unsurprising. Lafayette, Louisiana, is a Trump-supporting area, and people in the community sway more conservatively with their viewpoints. Even though the city has a largely conservative population, many advocates for protecting marginalized people have shown up at the Lafeyette library’s board meetings to oppose its harmful leadership. While some people are angry at the board’s dominating, right-wing actions, others applaud the removal of LBGTQ+ celebrations and acknowledgment. The battle at this Lafayette library is a microcosm of conflicts happening at libraries nationwide, with staff adamant about protecting people’s access to a diverse wealth of knowledge.
Across the country, debates have sprung up around what’s acceptable to be taught at schools and libraries. Conservatives and leftists have clashed over the years about educational ethics, often leading to protests and rowdiness that needs external forces to quell. But while right-wing politicians believe that leftists are responsible for condemning free speech, right-led states are the leaders in book-ban legislation. Texas holds the record for most book bans in a given state. In a school district in Kellar, Texas, 41 books were removed from school shelves, including the “Diary of Anne Frank” and “Gender Queer: A Memoir.” Books with content about LGBTQ identities or the Black experience are targeted primarily in states with extensive book bans.
Libraries in this country are revered spaces for kids and adults of all ages to learn and find necessary resources. But when these libraries and schools are stripped of historical, personal, or science-led content, free thinking and free speech are harmed more than the conservative party believes. Restricting someone’s access to verifiable knowledge is a disturbing sign of a country’s descent into ahistorical beliefs and bigotry.
