Arkansas is the latest flashpoint as censorship continues to make waves in various forms and across the political spectrum. And one would be forgiven for thinking not much could ruffle the feathers of the American library community. But the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas vowed to “continue fighting attempts to censor books and restrict the freedom to read,” while Book Riot’s Kelly Jensen claimed librarians will be “arrested for doing their jobs.”

Was this in response to librarians protecting a series of Penguin Classics, or perhaps uncomfortable political speech? Hardly. The library lobby’s utterly unhinged indignation was a reaction to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent ruling that an Arkansas law restricting minors’ access to “harmful” library material is indeed constitutional. Based on the law, Arkansas librarians who promote sexually explicit content to minors may face criminal charges. To quote Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, the ruling let Arkansas enforce a law that “protects children from obscene materials while increasing accountability for public-library curation decisions.” Jensen, a former librarian who writes books about gender identity and “our radical anatomy” for minors, ended up blaming “white supremacy.” Telling.

First and foremost, the Arkansas law is not targeting books solely for containing controversial material; it focuses on books with sexually explicit material. One such example is titled “Sex Is a Funny Word,” a sex education book written for children aged eight to 10 that promotes a non-binary view of the world. Quote: “Having a penis isn’t what makes you a boy. Having a vulva isn’t what makes you a girl.” The book also introduces kids to the concept of masturbation, or “magic touch” — the kind that “can make a hard day a bit easier.”

Who in their right mind would share that with a third grader? Even the American Library Association (ALA) — a longtime supporter of pornography peddling in school libraries and radical voices like Jensen — acknowledges the Arkansas law is meant to “protect younger minors.”

That is the second point, and a key distinction. The Arkansas law does not prevent an 18-year-old from reading about gender identity and sexual orientation in “Sex Is a Funny Word,” or a book like “Two Boys Kissing,” for that matter (another contentious book). Both books are widely available in local bookstores and on Amazon, among other options. And that is fine.

The law simply answers the fundamental question: Should a public school library recommend such books to eight-year-olds? Should a librarian introduce a third grader to books that discuss concepts like applying lube or performing oral sex?

The ALA identifies and protects thousands of “banned books,” many of them containing pornographic material that is inappropriate for a pre-teenager. But they are not actually “banned.” As we all know, porn is readily accessible online and in-person — from old Playboy editions to new Pornhub videos.

Name me a single controversial book that you can’t find online (you can’t). The supposed book “banners” just don’t want kids reading porn in a local library.

Dating back to the 1960s, the ALA’s official position is that it does not believe “any political or governmental body is qualified to determine what one person should or should not read.” If that means illustrating modern LGBTQ politics for an elementary school student, so be it. If that means stocking the middle school library’s shelves with Playboy or Hustler, so be it too.

But public opinion is not on the library lobby’s side. Most parents don’t want their third grader reading porn, and certainly not without their knowledge and consent. The ALA’s polling data may suggest voters “oppose book bans in libraries,” but that is because most Americans are impulsively in favor of the First Amendment — and rightly so. (Breaking news: Free speech is a good thing.)

Ask a loaded question, and you will receive an incomplete answer. Ask parents a more direct question — whether they endorse sexually obscene material in school libraries for minors — and the ALA won’t like their response.

Most parents express confidence in librarians, but most also favor age restrictions on books. At least 85% believe that books can be inappropriate for young children. Even more (90%) say that sexually explicit content has no place in school libraries, without endorsing its outright ban from broader society.

That’s why parents routinely argue in favor of parental consent requirements for students to access material that is deemed sexually relevant for their age group. Nearly 90% of Americans believe it is important that public schools fully inform parents about what is being taught to their children in classrooms.

Why? Because most Americans are concerned that school-age children are being exposed to sexually explicit material that is not age-appropriate. It isn’t just me saying so, and no amount of ALA-backed astroturf groups in Arkansas or other states will make the library lobby more than a fringe opinion.

Alas, radical activists now consider protesting porn at school to be out of bounds. Apparently, protecting parental involvement in early education is beyond the pale. Apparently, free speech is only supposed to apply to a librarian or an ALA executive; parents are supposed to just sit down and shut up.

The Arkansas case is a small win for parents, but not an ultimate victory. This culture war is far from over. Because of America’s library lobby, there will be no peace for parents anytime soon.

***

Dan Kleinman is the owner of SafeLibraries educational services. He is also executive director of the World Library Association, an alternative to the American Library Association.

Menu

Librarians Are Angry They Can’t Keep Shelves Stocked With Sexually Explicit Kids’ Material