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The Hill
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
A free speech double-standard is hiding on the shelf of your local library
For months, headlines have chronicled conservative efforts to purge library shelves. But the 'Tuttle Twins,' the children's book series I authored that champions free markets, was recently and briefly yanked from one in upstate New York. Will the supposed defenders of free speech rise up to condemn this censorship? With six million copies sold, the 'Tuttle Twins' series has a demonstrably large, mainstream audience. The book series — which teaches about free markets, personal responsibility, entrepreneurship and more — was recently stripped from the shelves of libraries in upstate New York on grounds that it 'promotes a specific political and economic perspective.' The very same shelves still celebrate Greta Thunberg's climate crusade, glorify Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) rise, and aggressively teach progressive activism. It seems exclusion is permissible, so long as it marches beneath a banner labeled 'inclusion.' The decision contradicts the library's own policy manual, which promises not to ban books merely because they offer a 'one-sided representation of opinions' or provoke 'vehement debate.' It also flouts the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, which the library adopted: 'Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.' When librarians forget their guild's cardinal rule, they convert the reading room into an ideological checkpoint. In fact, they also run afoul of constitutional precedent. In the 1982 case Island Trees v. Pico, the Supreme Court held that officials 'may not remove books … simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to 'prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics.'' Chemung County's act is precisely the sort of viewpoint purge the court was condemning. The stakes extend far beyond any one county or one book. PEN America records more than 10,000 school-library bans in the 2023-24 academic year, the highest tally on record. From Florida to Iowa, volumes featuring transgender protagonists or racial-justice themes vanish under conservative pressure. President Trump has vowed to yank federal funds from schools that refuse to excise critical-race or gender-ideology texts. Progressives and liberals readily condemn these actions when the targets of the purge are books they want children exposed to. But why are they silent, and even complicit in purges, when the target is a topic with which they disagree? The truth is that each side of the political aisle swings the same censorial hammer, merely trading targets. The result is a national game of literary whack-a-mole in which libraries become battlegrounds and children are collateral damage. A republic confident in itself should aspire to something more than alternating censorship. Perhaps most can at least agree on a broad-based principle: Minors should be shielded from sexually explicit material, but they are perfectly capable of encountering and questioning competing economic and political ideas. The 'Tuttle Twins,' like the many books geared toward left-wing policies that crowd Chemung County's catalogue, is an invitation to debate, not a seduction into dogma. We can ban the pornographic and also free the politically provocative. Maintaining some viewpoint diversity on the shelf is not a concession to conservatives; it is insurance for progressives, too. The rule that kicks out a free-market 'Tuttle Twins' book today can just as easily dump 'Phenomenal AOC' tomorrow. Once we agree that libraries can trash certain ideas, the only question left is whose turn comes next — and who gets to pick the target. Years of writing for children has shown me that kids prosper when ideas collide. Students who meet robust disagreement and grapple with unconventional ideas early develop sharper critical-thinking skills and broader tolerance for people different from themselves. Introduce them to Adam Smith and Karl Marx, Glenn Beck and Greta Thunberg, and they will emerge better armed to navigate the messy marketplace of adult opinion. By suppressing half the political spectrum, we do not protect innocence — rather, we manufacture fragility. Fortunately, Chemung County librarians have begun to repair the damage, compelled by the community's backlash. After a flood of polite but pointed emails from parents and patrons, the district acknowledged that, 'After internal review, the books in question are being returned' to the library's shelves. This course correction serves as a timely reminder that sustained public engagement still moves institutions. Thomas Jefferson reminded us that 'error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.' A public library exists to furnish the weapons of that combat. When it withholds a book because of its ideological content, it abandons its mission and, worse, teaches the next generation that uncomfortable ideas are objects to be plucked from sight, not examined. Keep the 'Tuttle Twins' and 'Phenomenal AOC' alike. Shelve them, spine by spine, and trust young readers — moved by their own curiosity and guided by parents and teachers — to wrestle with competing visions of the ideal society. In that contest of thought lies the real lesson of a free country, and it starts on the lowest shelf a child can reach. Connor Boyack is author of the Tuttle Twins children's book series and president of Libertas Network
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Restrictions on use of Arkansas State Library funds fail in budget subcommittee
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, presents an amendment to the Arkansas State Library's fiscal year 2026 appropriation bill to the Joint Budget Committee's Special Language subcommittee on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) A subcommittee of Arkansas' Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday rejected a proposed ban on the Arkansas State Library funding local public libraries affiliated with the American Library Association. The State Library is responsible for disbursing funds to libraries statewide. Under the proposed amendment to House Bill 1127, the State Library would not have been allowed to 'budget, allocate, or expend any funding to any library' that is affiliated with the ALA, including as a member; refers to the ALA in any of its official documents; or 'makes payments or grants of any kind' to the national nonprofit during fiscal year 2026. Libraries that use state funds for ALA-related activities would have been required to return the funds to the State Library. Amendments to appropriations bills need eight affirmative votes to pass Joint Budget's Special Language subcommittee. Chairman Rep. Lee Johnson, R-Greenwood, said there were not enough votes for the HB 1127 amendment. Several subcommittee members voted against the proposal, and members of both political parties expressed their concerns to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, who added the amendment to the bill last week. The ALA is a national nonprofit trade association that advocates for public libraries and helps them secure grant funding. It also accredits master's of library science degree programs. Sullivan repeated his criticism of the portion of the ALA's Library Bill of Rights that access to libraries should not be restricted based on a person's age. Far-right conservatives nationwide who object to the public availability of certain content have claimed this is proof that the ALA believes in forcing content about sexual activity and LGBTQ+ topics onto children. ALA's climate change resources and stated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion are proof the organization has 'an agenda,' Sullivan said. He also said the State Library Board didn't seem to understand that the Legislature has power over its ability to distribute funds. Arkansas senator continues mission to eliminate State Library Board, cites unfulfilled bargain 'If we're going to distribute funds to libraries that have a policy that we will not withhold any information… from anyone regardless of their age, and if our State Library Board and our State Library, county libraries and regional libraries can't develop a policy that states that, we've got a big problem,' he said. Sullivan has vowed to eliminate the State Library Board, which refused both last month and last week to disavow the ALA. The board approved a motion to create 'non-binding policies to protect children' in libraries while honoring First Amendment freedoms and libraries' material selection policies, but Sullivan said Friday that this was not enough to ensure the board's survival. He introduced Senate Bill 184 in February to eliminate both the State Library Board and the Arkansas Education Television Commission, which oversees Arkansas PBS, and transfer their powers to the state Department of Education. The bill passed the Senate Feb. 17 and has yet to be heard by a House committee. Negotiations with the PBS commission chairman led Sullivan to decide not to dissolve it, and he said he has drafted an amendment to SB 184 removing the Arkansas Education Television Commission. As of Tuesday afternoon, the amendment had not been posted on the Legislature's bill monitoring website. Sullivan told the JBC subcommittee that he planned to file a new bill that would fulfill the purpose of the HB 1127 amendment if it did not pass. The bill had not been filed as of Tuesday afternoon. Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said he found it 'counterintuitive' that the proposed amendment banned funding libraries with any and all references to the ALA in measures passed by their governing boards. 'Let's just say that one of these boards, if this were to pass, were to go in and say, 'We cannot make a reference to the American Library Association'… then they've made a reference to the American Library Association in an official document,' Hickey said. Sullivan said he understood Hickey's point but would 'leave it at that.' He also said he had not heard from any librarians saying the amendment would put their funding at risk. However, librarians in Sen. Jonathan Dismang's district have contacted him with concerns that the fine points of the language of the appropriation amendment could jeopardize their funding, he told Sullivan. 'I don't think any member could read this language and understand what the outcome is all at once,' the Searcy Republican said. 'I may be wrong, but… I'm saying that gives me concern. You may have libraries, doing everything the way that you think they should be doing it, that could be tripped up by the way that this is written and lose their state funding.' Dismang said he agreed with Sullivan that 'sexually explicit materials' should not be within minors' reach, but Sullivan said he was skeptical of that statement based on Dismang's concerns. 'If libraries have in their policy that we adhere to the American Library Association policy, [that] policy disagrees with what we just said,' Sullivan said. Dismang also said he was concerned about the amendment's exception for libraries to pay for staff professional development from the ALA if the programming 'does not conflict with state law.' 'Obviously there are some good things [about the ALA] or we wouldn't have carved out an exception,' Dismang said. Act 242 of 2025 removes the state's requirement for public library directors in Arkansas to hold a master's degree 'from an accredited American Library Association program,' and allows someone with 'work experience in the field of library operations' but without a master's degree to run a library with approval from its local governing board. Sullivan sponsored Act 242, which became law March 4, and said it will give communities 'local control' over who runs their libraries. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Shelly Short pulls support for Republic library expansion after Pride flag controversy
Mar. 3—The public library in Republic, Washington, missed out on a funding opportunity after a group of residents complained about a pride flag and the library board declined to remove it. State Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, said she pulled her support for a state appropriations request for a new library building until the controversy is resolved. The intersex-inclusive progress pride flag, which includes a purple circle representing intersex people, hangs vertically over a corner door in the Republic Public Library's young adult section. The flag is left over from a Pride Month display last June. While the library building is owned by the city of Republic, it is managed by North Central Washington Libraries, which oversees 30 branches across five mostly rural counties. Republic is a remote mountain town with about 1,000 people about an hour south of the Canadian border. "Our responsibility as a library district is to make sure all community members feel represented and included," NCW Executive Director Barbara Walters said. Other NCW libraries have pride flags, but it has only been controversial in Republic, she said. The board received more comments supporting the flag than against it. A group of residents calling themselves the Republic Library Changemakers asked the board to write a flag policy to only allow the U.S. and Washington state flags to be displayed at the library. Members of the group could not be reached or declined to comment for this article. At previous board meetings, members of the group said the pride flag is a political statement and it makes them feel "unsafe" and "unwelcome." Because the library district doesn't own its buildings and by extension their flagpoles, the board on Feb. 20 approved a general display policy rather than a flag policy, Walters said. Republic Public Library does not have a flagpole, but an American flag prominently hangs from a wall mount on the library's front porch. The new policy gives library staff discretion to curate displays that represent the diversity of their communities and recognize marginalized voices. It was informed by the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read and Freedom to View statements. "Displays are designed to promote intellectual freedom, reflect diverse viewpoints, and foster lifelong learning," the policy says. After the board approved the policy, Short announced that she would not support the $772,500 state funding request for the design phase of the library's expansion project. "With great reluctance, I have decided not to pursue a capital budget appropriation for the Republic Library for the 2025 legislative session," Short said in a statement. "I have long been a supporter of strong libraries in our communities. However, a local controversy regarding the year-round display of a 'Gay Pride' flag has proven extremely divisive, and until this is resolved, action on our part in Olympia to expand this facility would only deepen local frustration with library management." Short said there might have been a way forward if the flag had come down at the end of Pride Month and called the library district to develop a better process for the public to request policy changes. She said she believes the library "can find a way to serve marginalized communities without making a political statement that many patrons find offensive," and she hopes to reconsider the proposal next year. The dream to build a new library began with a land donation to the Friends of the Republic Library a few years ago. Since then, the group has spearheaded an ambitious plan to build not only a new library, but also a community center and day care in the same building. If fully realized, it would cost about $18 million, said Friends member and building committee co-chair Emily Burt. The library alone would be about $6 million. The project has raised about $1 million so far through public and private sources. For the last couple of years the Friends were successful in landing funding through state Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, a Republic resident. With Maycumber's leaving the House early this year, the Friends made a new request to Short. Burt said Short was initially supportive until she heard complaints about the flag. Burt said it was "disappointing" because the Friends have nothing to do with NCW Libraries policy. Members of the Friends have diverse views about the pride flag, but are united in their goal to build the new facility. They are still committed to moving forward. The current library has everything cramped into one room. A new library would provide more space for expanding the library's collections, adding staff rooms, and separating the children's story time area, maker space and computer lab. Burt said there is no licensed child care facility in the county or within an hour's drive of Republic. The lack of child care limits an already limited local workforce, she said. The town also lacks a large community meeting space, so the meeting room could be used for many purposes. "We want to provide for this community what most of America has already," Burt said. Republic Mayor Gabe Becklin said the city is neutral about the flag issue, but is fully supportive of the new building project. "I hope the hubbub doesn't hold up the new library progress," he said. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell visited the library in August and has requested $2.8 million in rural development appropriations from Congress for fiscal year 2025. Members of the Ferry County Gay-Straight Alliance traveled to the NCW Libraries board meeting in Wenatchee last Thursday to speak in support of the Republic library. The gay-straight alliance had nothing to do with adding the flag to the library, but the group was formed in direct response to the Changemakers' hateful comments against the gay community, alliance member Crystal Strong said. "From our perspective it is not just about the flag, it is about human rights and visibility in our community," Strong said. The library is one of the few safe spaces for everyone, she said. Strong has lived in Republic with her wife for 20 years. It is generally a welcoming community with a focus on tourism, she said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the full names of Barbara Walters and Crystal Strong on first references. James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
