Meramec librarian weighs in on the potential ‘censorship’
By: Mary Wilson, Opinions Editor
The Missouri legislature is considering a bill that would restrict what books minors can access at public libraries. The bill, House Bill 2044, is also known as the “Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act.” HB 2044 is sponsored by Republican Representative Ben Baker, could also impose fines or imprison librarians.
The bill summary requires that each library in the state of Missouri have a “review board” made up of five elected, volunteer “adult resident” members of the community.
By the bill’s definition, a public library is one that receives state aid and “provides public access to age-inappropriate sexual material.”
The members of the review board are not required to have any back- ground on politics, art, science, literature or child development, despite the fact that the board would determine whether or not library materials “taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.”
If the review board decides a book is not appropriate for minors, it will not be made available for anyone under age 18 at that library.
The Missouri Library Association released a statement regarding HB 2044 on Jan. 15.
“Public libraries exist to provide equitable access to information to all of its users, as it is key to having an informed populace. Public libraries already have procedures in place to assist patrons in protecting their own children while not infringing upon the rights of other pa- trons or restrict- ing materials.”
Janice Hovis, professor and librarian at St. Louis Community College at Meramec, said that she is “concerned but not overly concerned…it [the bill] is simply proposed by one legislator. I don’t think it will go anywhere. I can’t believe that there would be any support for this,” she said. “I am concerned because if the bill did move forward and was passed, I think it is a giant leap backward.”
Hovis listed censorship as a concern if HB 2044 is passed.
“It takes the professional responsibility of librarians out of their hands and puts it in place of a small local panel of parents who cannot be overruled. There’s no appeal from the board’s decision… They [the review board] would be the sole determiners of whether something is age appropriate,” said Hovis.
In addition, there is a section in HB 2044 that reads “any public library personnel who willfully neglects or refuses to perform any duty imposed on a public library under this section, or who willfully violates any provision of this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than 500 dollars or by imprisonment in the country jail not to exceed one year.”
“… I think it’s outrageous,” Hovis said of the possible fines and imprisonment.
Hovis said she doesn’t think the bill will pass and become law.
“If it does, it would encourage censorship, it would deny materials to children who could benefit from the materials. It would take away the decision from the actual parents of a par- ticular child,” Hovis said.
Rep. Baker did not respond to multiple requests for comment by The Montage.
