We need to stop politicizing libraries
There is a piece of legislation making its way through the Georgia General Assembly, SB 390, which is designed to reduce or eliminate the influence of the American Library Association on libraries in Georgia.
The ALA is an organization of libraries and librarians. The bill would loosen the process by which librarians are certified by the state as well as limit the use of donations, public and private, to public libraries for materials or services provided by the ALA.
The bill claims that the certification process is complicated by the ALA and the politics of the ALA are questionable.
Could the certification process for librarians be streamlined" I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that, contrary to what some people think, librarians are professionals and library science is a real field of study. Just as we certify other professions, we should certify librarians.
The attack on the politics of the ALA and its leadership is reflective of a deeper issue. There is a real debate going on in this country right now about what books and other materials are appropriate for our children to have access to. Professional librarians are trained to know what is generally age-appropriate and make decisions accordingly.
Parents certainly have a role to play as well. Parents can decide that a book is inappropriate for their child and prevent them from reading it. Well, they can try. In actuality, the quickest way to get a young person to read something is to tell them they can’t. The reality is that if a child wants to get hold of a book, they will find a way.
Book banning is seeing a resurgence lately. School districts across the country are banning books. It seems books about diversity, especially ones that address LGBTQ+ issues, are frequent targets. Books that were required reading when I was in school are now being banned in some places. I can’t help but see the irony of banning “Fahrenheit 451.” I can’t help but think of the book burning scene in “Footloose.”
No one disputes the idea that children should have access the books that are age appropriate. There are certainly some books that might be appropriate for a high school library that are not right for elementary school. But public libraries are intended for all ages.
Having a children’s and young adult section makes sense. However the burden of keeping books away from those for whom they are not suited is not just the responsibility of the librarian, but the responsibility of the parent as well. Each child is different and the values and beliefs of each family are different.
It seems to me that having trained professionals running our libraries is more important than ever, so watering down the certification process seems counter-intuitive. Given budget constraints, limiting what donations a library can take and use also seems counter-intuitive.
We need to stop politicizing libraries. If a parent feels a book is not right for their child, they can choose to keep it from the child. Or, better yet, read it with the child so they can discuss the content.