Missouri Secretary of State withdraws state funding of digital library catalog
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins speaks to reporters at the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session. Hoskins announced Monday that he is withdrawing funding for a digital library catalog provider(Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is pausing funding to the digital library catalog company Overdrive until it can prove that it has as safeguards barring children from accessing inappropriate content.
The action comes after a Missouri Senate committee heard a bill last week seeking regulation of digital library catalogs, alleging Overdrive-run app Sora allows minors to access explicit sexual material.
Rachael Dunn, spokeswoman for the secretary of state, said the move was in direct response to the bill and 'agency investigations involving digital library catalogs.'
Overdrive and its other apps like Sora and Libby allow library patrons to check out digital copies of books and audiobooks online.
The Secretary of State's Office, which runs the state library, helps fund access to Overdrive and its applications for a network of schools and libraries called the Missouri Research and Education Network, or MOREnet.
The office's $3.1 million appropriation to MOREnet, of which $30,000 is directed to Overdrive, funds access to databases and discounts for services like Overdrive.
'Our priority is protecting Missouri's children while holding taxpayer-funded vendors accountable,' Hoskins said in a press release. 'We expect Overdrive to clarify its policies and demonstrate how it is ensuring appropriate access to content.'
Overdrive did not respond to a request for comment.
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