In our increasingly divisive country, public libraries stand as one of the few neutral civic spaces. But pervasive ideological tilt may prove a death knell. Librarians, however, can save the library as a sanctuary for all.
If you don’t direct your trust and love in one place, then you’re going to put it somewhere else.
However popular it’s become to portray parents concerned about sexualized scenes in books as somehow secretly motivated by bigotry and racism, it’s simply not true.
Many parents have sincere concerns about sexually explicit and violent books in schools. A new open letter disregards these, perpetuating a dishonest narrative accusing these parents of being motivated by hatred and fear of minority groups.
Compared to conservative parents accused of trying to “ban books,” librarians making preemptive restrictions on other books are seen as “doing their job.” Can this conversation be rescued from its political skew?
