|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
![]() |
#1 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,653
Karma: 20102554
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Central Florida
Device: Oasis 3, PW 3 & 5, Fire HD 8 & 10
|
MO Bill Proposes Parental Review Board for “Age-Inappropriate” Material
A bill filed this week in Missouri would give a specially appointed parental board oversight over public library materials deemed inappropriate for minors and proposes legal ramifications for librarians who don’t comply—leaving library leadership, workers, and supporters up in arms.
When the Missouri General Assembly convened for the year on January 8, Rep. Ben Baker (R-Neosho) introduced H.B. 2044, the Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act, which proposes to keep “age-inappropriate sexual material” in libraries out of the hands of minors. If passed, the bill would mean that any library staff that violates it would face a $500 fine or a year in jail, and state aid for offending libraries would be cut as well. Full story here from Library Journal |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Resident Curmudgeon
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 79,680
Karma: 145864619
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
This should be up to the parents and not the libraries.
|
![]() |
![]() |
Advert | |
|
![]() |
#3 |
Grand Sorcerer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 7,063
Karma: 91577715
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Device: Kindles
|
By my reading of the article it appears that it would give an elected board composed of five adults in each community the ability to ban pretty much any book, not just from the children's section, but from being available to any patron.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
monkey on the fringe
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 45,762
Karma: 158733736
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle Metro
Device: Moto E6, Echo Show
|
Agreed
![]() Additionally, I want to know they're only going after sexual material. These people are being extremely hypocritical by not including violent material. If sexual magazines like Playboy are going to be banned, then so should violent magazines like the NRA's American Rifleman and American Hunter. This is a blatant backdoor attempt to censor materials they find offensive. If this succeeds, look for this censorship to expand to non-Christian and LGBT material. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 | |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,752
Karma: 45301087
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022
|
Quote:
Parents need to be the ones to decide on any reading/watching/gaming content their kids have access to. But there is a lot of content aimed at kids that really isn't suitable. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
Advert | |
|
![]() |
#6 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,653
Karma: 20102554
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Central Florida
Device: Oasis 3, PW 3 & 5, Fire HD 8 & 10
|
I think I'm more in shock with the librarians facing up to a $500 fine or a year in jail if they don't go along with it.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Grand Sorcerer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
A given: censorship isn't good.
Also: This is an extreme reaction but it is a reaction to an issue that keeps cropping up: parental controls. The issue is twofold: first thing is, most forms of information and entertainment have parental controls. TVs, gaming consoles, phones, PCs, browsers, Kindles (and Kobos, I assume) all offer parents tools to manage content they deem appropriate for *their* kids. Libraries don't. Parents are expected to trust librarians and libraries. And the second thing is, many people no longer trust *any* institutions to align with their interests. That is, increasingly, including libraries. A great many things that used to be locally controlled are being overidden by "higher" principles and levels of government (the federalization and homogenization of almost everything). This is in line with the never-ending debates over sex education, school curricula, and the general culture wars. Look at the location: not California, Not New York, not the deep south. It's not black and white on either end. But if the camps do the usual and dig in and resort to the usual demonization of opponents instead of recognizing the real issue, nothing good will come of this. Because libraries are locally funded and if communities start seeing them as unresponsive to local mores, they'll start getting unresponsive come funding time. This is just round one. Last edited by fjtorres; 01-22-2020 at 02:30 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
monkey on the fringe
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 45,762
Karma: 158733736
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle Metro
Device: Moto E6, Echo Show
|
The issue is one of one group of people people dictating what another group of people can and can't do in a public library. If they don't want their kids exposed to material of a sexual nature, then don't allow them to view or check out those materials. There's no need to ban those materials, because that then deprives access to those who wish to check them out.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 | |
Evangelist
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 426
Karma: 8522810
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Device: Kindle PW3
|
Quote:
If someone willfully breaks a law, I'm not sure what you think the consequences should be. That penalty isn't much different than the maximum penalty for other relatively minor misdemeanors. The penalty for a repeat offender that litters in Texas is up to a $2000 fine and 180 days in jail. Last edited by SleepyBob; 01-22-2020 at 04:23 PM. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 | |
Resident Curmudgeon
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 79,680
Karma: 145864619
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 | |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,569
Karma: 36389706
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Quincy, MA
Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite
|
Quote:
![]() ![]() ![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 | |
Grand Sorcerer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
They might be saying "I don't want *my* kids to be exposed to that, until I say they're ready". Instead of automatically assuming they want to tell everybody what to read, how about figuring out what they *really* want? Maybe they're using kids as an excuse to censor stuff, but what if they're sincerely looking for some control on what kids can do on their own? Parents can't oversee kids 24x7 or inside schools. What happened to "It takes a village..."? It's not too different from saying liquor stores shouldn't let underage kids buy booze. Would working with them be so terrible? Like flagging books that might require a parental sign-off? Maybe they're crackpot censors. But what if they aren't? |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 | |
Grand Sorcerer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
It's not if parents can have kids on a leash and monitor everything they ever do. Even kids with attentive parents find ways to get into mischief. If anything, worrying about this is a form of parental involvement, istead of just dumping them at school or handing them a tablet or game console and forgetting about tgem. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
Running with scissors
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,586
Karma: 14328510
Join Date: Nov 2019
Device: none
|
Reminds me of the time my mother went into a frenzy and whipped me for reading Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle, because it's about evolution. "Spare the rod and spoil the child."
Last edited by hobnail; 01-22-2020 at 07:24 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 | |
Grand Sorcerer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 7,063
Karma: 91577715
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Device: Kindles
|
![]() Quote:
You wouldn't want a 17 year old reading books about human sexuality or some young impressionable child exposed to Mommy, Mama, and Me. ![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
an inappropriate question? | Snepscheut | enTourage Archive | 5 | 05-13-2010 12:43 PM |
Rainbow Technology proposes 5 GB paper-based storage device | Bob Russell | Lounge | 4 | 09-24-2006 10:29 AM |