Letter to the Editor
For weeks now I have tried to remain publicly neutral and quiet about the proposed bills (HB1205 & SB2360) that may potentially forever change the ability of our public library to truly remain a PUBLIC LIBRARY. However, I no longer feel I can remain quiet and do justice to our patrons that love and fully utilize the library and its services. According to any definition I have found, the word public means it is for everyone! Not just for a few or even for a majority, it means it is available for anyone from a broadly diverse community with a wide range of viewpoints and material wants and needs that might not be agreeable to all. A great library will do its best to meet the needs of everyone it serves.
For some people in our community to claim that our library board is in violation of the North Dakota Century Code is absurd. Not one of our board members or our librarians would ever think about endangering a child in any way. A clear collection development policy and the opportunity for any member of the community to challenge an item are established protection measures that help us determine value and legitimacy to the collection, proper placement, and possible removal of an item. Most of our board members and librarians are parents and concerned members of this community too, so would never put their child or another in harm’s way. As with all our patrons, both adults and children, we as librarians, do not pressure or try to influence what people read. Parents have full authority over their child’s library account and any wishes they express to our librarians about what they don’t want their child to read is honored.
To answer the question about safeguards for internet use by children, we already have those at the library too! I found out they are pretty effective as well when I tried to ask the question on my work computer “Are sex trafficking and porn the same thing?” The message I received in answer to my question was “Your current BingSafeSearch setting filters out results that might return adult content. To view those results as well, change your SafeSearch setting.” Needless to say, I didn’t get any results to look at so I had to continue that research at home. Do you want to know the answer to the question? In everything I found, the answer is “no” they are not the same, yet they are unquestionably “linked.” There is no sure way of knowing whether the persons in the pictures and video portrayed are doing those acts in a consensual manner or are being pressured or coerced. I continued to test our filtering system by connecting to our WiFi system and searching for “porn” on my Smartphone. I did get quite a few links, however, every time I clicked on a link, I got the message “This site can’t be reached.” I believe our filtering systems we have in place are doing a great job. They are a service that we pay to provide and ensure safe internet practices. As technology advances, we continually look to improve those safety measures.
As library professionals who are dedicated to serving each and every person using our library services, we are constantly working to improve our collection and services through continuing education and evaluation of our policies. We love to see parents participating in their children’s curiosity for learning and desire to read. Let your children know your expectations and set clear guidelines for them. We love to visit with patrons about the books they have read and what kinds of materials they like to read. Suggestions for new materials are always welcome. This library belongs to everyone in our community. If you think it needs to improve, then you need to be a part of it. We invite constructive criticism. However, the intimidation, use of foul language, derogatory comments, and personal attacks that have been aimed at our library staff, board members, and even those that speak up and support the library are only hurtful. These types of messages have been delivered personally, through social media, obscene phone calls, and through our local newspaper. These actions are poor examples of the Christian values I live by. The current legislation will not improve our library either. It will only force people who also pay taxes to find what they want to read in other ways, perhaps even in unhealthy ways. It will only silence the voices of many authors both past and present and it will discriminate against many in our community that enjoy reading their work.