How To Fight New Obscenity Laws Targeting Librarians

2 years ago 65

So acold this year, eight states person introduced legislation that makes it easier to prosecute teachers and librarians nether “obscenity” and “harmful to minor” laws — these person been weaponizing successful caller publication banning battles, being utilized against librarians and educators conscionable for having LGBTQ books oregon enactment acquisition books connected the shelves.

EveryLibrary, a PAC that lobbies for libraries, has released a policy brief to assistance amended astir these laws arsenic good arsenic outline ways to combat them. It goes implicit authorities obscenity and harmful to insignificant laws, and however they use to teachers and librarians. It past reviews related authorities authorities successful 2021 and 2022, some the laws that passed and the ones that failed.

The argumentation little besides has proposal for anti-censorship advocacy for librarians, educators, administrators, unions and nonrecreational associations, and different stakeholders similar parents and room users. They decorativeness with effectual anti-censorship messaging and places to get support, including astatine EveryLibrary. For example:

“When idiosyncratic is uncomfortable with a publication oregon movie they don’t person to work oregon ticker it. Changing obscenity laws would criminalize libraries successful our state. That means everyone’s close to work is nether threat.”