Maryland bill protects libraries from unconstitutional censorship
Americans are despondent over the partisan nature of our country.
Yet there remain spaces in this country that are remarkably democratic and nonpartisan: our public libraries. Libraries serve each American who walks through the door from all of the diverse socioeconomic, racial and geographic communities across our nation. It is incredible work performed by humble and hardworking people.
Currently, there is a bill in Annapolis that will protect the ability of our library staff to meet the needs of every customer. House Bill 785, entitled the Freedom to Read Act, codifies the fundamental mission of our libraries — providing access for all. Moreover, it establishes principles for curating a responsible library collection. The bill also protects community collections from deliberate theft, and libraries and library staff from punitive action for doing their work within the policies and procedures outlined by their organizations. Fundamentally, the bill affirms constitutional librarianship and protects libraries as they continue to defend against unconstitutional censorship.
Librarians know it is not the role of the library to determine a value set for our children or communities. This role sits squarely with families. But just as importantly, it is not the right of any individual, party or ideology to determine what materials belong in our libraries. That is the job of trained librarians who develop collections.
In libraries throughout the nation, there are books on the shelves that present diametrically opposing views, repugnant ideologies or challenges to traditional philosophies. Simply put, our collections are diverse, living and professionally selected. The Freedom to Read Act means our libraries remain free from any one belief system or the influences of politics. It allows individual visitors the freedom to satisfy their curiosity and choose what they read.
To be engaged citizens of our counties, states and nation, we must know their history and the unique challenges our neighbors have witnessed. We must remain current on the ideas and perspectives of our fellow citizens. The opportunity to do all this resides at the library. Materials are available for all of us to grow as individuals and arrive at our conclusions regarding issues of the day.
It is important for all of us to celebrate the creative expression that fiction provides us. Sometimes we find something in a character that parallels our own lives. Other times we learn about cultures, histories, and individuals that are vastly different from our own. Reading develops intellectual knowledge and empathy and respect for others. It can provide respite for the soul.
Why is there an urgency for these protections now? Data from the Maryland State Library show that the number of formal book challenges to public libraries has increased by 133% between 2019 and 2023, with a peak of 233% in 2022. The number of individuals submitting book challenges to Maryland public libraries increased by 245% in the past year. Nationwide in the first nine months of 2023, 49% of all book challenges targeted public libraries and public librarians, a dramatic increase from 16% the prior year.
What happens if we curtail readers’ access to certain resources? We limit our autonomy to choose what we read. We silence the voices of marginalized people as proposed book bans regularly target writers and subjects of color and the LGBTQ+ community. As a trustee of Baltimore County Public Library, I advise members of my community, “If you don’t like it, don’t check it out, but don’t stop someone else from having the option.”
As citizens in a democracy, we must protect the freedom to explore new ideas, to have dissenting opinions heard, to vigorously argue our own unique perspectives. The public library must remain a nonpartisan space in which different perspectives are available and robust conversations take place. The library should be the protected space in which the most rigorous debate exists. It is nonpartisan and truly democratic to allow every community the freedom to read, and we must enshrine those protections with the passage of the Freedom to Read Act.
Libraries are sacred spaces of endless imagination, creativity and information. Our libraries and our staff must be free to engage in the important work of providing access to all. In the days ahead, let your elected officials know that passage of the Freedom to Read Act is vital to preserving our democracy.
The public library must remain a nonpartisan space in which different perspectives are available and robust conversations take place.