A horror story for #Fridaythe13th

The sheriff walks into a public library. In this part of the state he’s the most powerful man for hundreds of miles, known for using fear as his weapon of choice. But his motives extend beyond power: he wants to control what people think. 1/6 He had heard of a book available in the library, said to contain secrets about safe sex and healthy relationships. Determined to control the availability of this information, the sheriff has come to the library to take it for himself, to prevent anyone else from reading it. 2/6

Did you know librarians have a code of ethics? It was first adopted by the American Library Association in 1939 and has been updated several times since then. The code outlines the ethical principles that guide the work of those that work in libraries in nine statements: 🧵 1. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.

One reason we believe it is important not to concede to extremists is because they will never be satisfied. They will keep demanding more and more concessions, moving the goalposts in their quest to gain more power over those they consider beneath them. At first they just wanted books out of school libraries, then it was public libraries, and now they’re upset about a book for adults being on a display shelf with other books for adults in a store, all in the name of “protecting kids.” Kids are a smokescreen here, a straw man.

Let’s say someone has strong personal beliefs about Mormonism. Early in their life they were exposed to fundamentalist views and Warren Jeffs, and so they decided to avoid all mentions of and information about Mormonism because they believe it to be harmful. 🧵 They are well within their rights to have this belief. In a library, it would be appropriate for them to seek out the information that’s relevant to them while avoiding what they don’t want to see. They can also guide their children away from material that they want to avoid.

Hi new followers! 👋

We’re the Society of Secret Library Friends, a group of people that work in libraries (and some allies) that informs the public about libraries, encourages librarians to continue their important work, and facilitates action in support of libraries. We’re an Idaho-based organization, but we pay attention to what’s happening nationwide. The challenges that libraries are facing in this moment are not organic, but are driven by the agenda and money of national groups who’ve found a new institution to try and control.

A 10-year-girl in Delaware picked up “It’s Perfectly Normal” while at the library with her mother. When they came home, she showed her mom the chapter on sexual abuse and said, “This is me.” She was being abused by her father, and it was the first time she’d spoken about it. The father was convicted, and the judge said, “There were heroes in this case. One was the child, and the other was the book.” Also a hero was the librarian who made this book available on the shelves.