Thread by @MOlibraries

As MO law moves forward with criminalizing librarians for doing their jobs, see our reply below. 🧵
#FreedomToRead
molib.org/mla-statement-…

First, there is the proposed rule by MO Secretary of State that "remains vague and continues to engender strife between the library and its community".

Then the new bill, HB1159, "goes beyond the rule to institute punitive damages against libraries and librarians for merely doing the work of the library".

"Both the rule and HB 1159 assume that librarians are currently providing materials to minors or their communities that constitute 'child pornography,' are 'pornographic for minors,' and are 'obscene.'"

(Spoiler: we aren't. In fact...)

"Providing materials to minors that constitute the legal definition of pornography as such is already illegal, and libraries already comply."

The rule "as codified in HB 1159 forces librarians to be complicit in undermining their own institutions if they want access to state funding and creates the fear of prosecution for libraries and librarians. These provisions are short-sighted, unnecessary and disingenuous."

Remember back in Nov/Dec when there was an open comment period for this rule?
"20,000 comments were submitted, and it was evident that most Missourians are opposed to such shackling of their libraries".