THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AN ANONYMOUS GROUP IS ASKING
THE IRON RIVER LIBRARY TO REMOVE
NEARLY 500 LGBTQ+ RELATED
MATERIALS FROM THE PUBLIC
LIBRARY AND CALLING FOR THE
RESIGNATION OF LIBRARY BOARD
MEMBERS.
THE TOWN IS LOCATED IN BAYFIELD
COUNTY IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND
HAS JUST A THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
THE REQUEST CAME IN THE FORM OF
A LETTER FROM, QUOTE, CONCERNED
CITIZENS.
WE WERE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK WITH
THE DIRECTOR OF THE IRON RIVER
LIBRARY ABOUT THIS ATTEMPTED
BOOK BANNING BUT THE PRESIDENT
OF THE LIBRARY BOARD CANCELLED
OUR INTERVIEW AT THE LAST
MINUTE.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD TOLD
ME OVER THE PHONE THEY ARE
TRYING TO GATHER MORE FACTS
ABOUT WHO IS BEHIND THE LETTER,
BUT THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR SAYS
THEY ARE NOT PULLING THE BOOKS.
THIS FOLLOWS A TREND OF
CONSERVATIVE GROUPS AROUND THE
COUNTRY ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE
BOOKS RELATED TO LGBTQ ISSUES.
JOINING US IS LOUISE ROBINS, A
UW MEDICINE PROFESSOR EMERITUS
OF LIBRARY INFORMATION SCIENCES
AND STUDIES.
THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO ARE THERE PARALLELS IN HIS
TROY THIS CURRENT MOVEMENT TO
BAN BOOKS, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO
MARGINALIZED GROUPS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG
TIME.
I THINK SOME OF THE MOST
PROMINENT EXAMPLES ARE DURING
THE MCCARTHY PERIOD DURING THE
50s, THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF
ATTEMPTS TO SENSOR BOOKS RELATED
TO COMMUNIST BUT ALSO TO PEOPLE
OF COLOR.
AS IT WENT ALONG THE -- LET ME
BACK UP THERE A MINUTE.
THEY WANTED TO BAN CHEAP
PAPERBACKS AND COMIC BOOKS.
ONE PERSON TESTIFIED BEFORE A
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, SAID
COM
COMICBOOKS WOULD BLOW YOUR BOY'S
BRAINS OUT SO THEY WERE RATHER
ALARMIST.
THE TARGETS WERE PEOPLE OF
COLOR, JEWISH AND NON-BBINARY
THEN.
THEN A BOOK WITH A BLACK BUNNY
AND WHITE BUNNY NEARLY CAUSED
THE FIRING OF THE LIBRARIAN OF
ALABAMA, EMILY REED, BECAUSE THE
STATE SAID IT PROMOTED
INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE AND THE
FAMILY CRITICS OF LIBRARIES WHO
ATTACKED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME
TOPICS, LIKE TODAY'S MOMS FOR
LIBERTY.
>> THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN PRETTY
REGULARLY.
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT CAN A
REQUEST LIKE THIS HAVE ON A
SMALL COMMUNITY?
>> WELL, IN MY EXPERIENCE IT CAN
DRIVE AWAY WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T
AGREE WITH PROTESTERS.
THAT MEANS IN A COMMUNITY -- A
SMALL COMMUNITY THEY MIGHT HAVE
A SIGNIFICANT BRAIN DRAIN AND
SPLIT UP THE COMMUNITY SO PEOPLE
WHO HISTORICALLY WORKED WELL
TOGETHER NOW DON'T.
SO IT CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT.
THE GROUP I STUDY ED IN OKLAHOMA
IN THE 50s, A LARGE NUMBER OF
RESEARCHERS, WITH PHILLIPS
PETROLEUM FLED AND WENT ELSE
WHERE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT
THEIR CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN
SUCH A PLACE.
THE SAME KIND OF THING COULD
HAPPEN.
NOT ON THAT SCALE, OF COURSE.
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
SO THE BOOKS IN QUESTION HAVE TO
DO WITH GENDER AND SEXUALITY.
HOW DO LIBRARIES ASSESS WHAT
BOOKS ON THESE TOPICS GO WHERE
IN THE INTEREST OF, YOU KNOW,
ALL FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO
MAKE SURE THEY ARE AVAILABLE BUT
NOT OUT IN FRONT IF NOT
APPROPRIATE?
>> WELL, THERE ARE SEVERAL THING
THAT IS DO.
THEY CONSULT REVIEWS.
THEY LOOK AT -- WHICH ARE
AWARD-WINNING BOOKS.
THEY HAVE A COMMITTEE OFTEN THAT
DECIDES ON WHAT THEY ARE GOING
TO INCLUDE AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT
-- NUMBER THE CONCERNED CITIZENS
CITE IS A NUMBER HELD IN AWE IN
NORTHERN WATERS LIBRARY SERVICE
LIBRARIES APPARENTLY.
ALSO ON STATE E-BOOK
COLLECTIONS.
SO IT IS NOT ANYTHING THAT -- IF
ONE LIBRARY HAD 450 TITLES LIKE
THAT, IT WOULD BE VERY LOPSIDED.
SO WHAT THEY TRY TO DO IS
PROVIDE FOR THE READING INTEREST
OF A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND
BE SURE THEY HAVE THINGS ON
VARIOUS SIDES OF AN ISSUE
THROUGH CONSULTING REVIEWERS,
QUALITY LISTS AND SO ON.
JUST THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD TRY
TO SELECT A PRODUCT FOR YOUR
HOME.
YOU CONSULT THOSE REVIEWS.
>> SO IF THERE ARE PARENTS OR
INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE CONCERNS
ABOUT SOME BOOKS IN A LIBRARI,
WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO
DO IT, TO TALK TO A LIBRARIAN
ABOUT THAT?
>> THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A
RECONSIDERATION FORM USUALLY IN
MOST LIBRARIES ARE PROCESSED.
I DO BELIEVE ALL THE LIBRARIES
IN THE NORTHERN WATERS AREA HAVE
SUCH A PROCESS.
BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO HAVE READ
THE BOOK.
THEN YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE
SPECIFIC AREAS THAT ARE
PROBLEMATIC.
SO THAT YOU DON'T JUST GO IN
WITH A LIST OF 150 BOOKS AND SAY
ALL OF THESE ARE BAD.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE
TALKING ABOUT AND MAKE A LOGICAL
COMPLAINT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO DO
THAT.
SOMETIMES THEY RESULT IN A
CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR THE -- IN
SHELVING FOR THE BOOK.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, NOT REMOVAL
UNLESS THE BOOK IS CLEARLY
BEYOND THE MARGINS.
>> SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE
LEFT.
IN YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BOOK
BANNING EVER WORKED?
ARE THERE EXAMPLES SMALL GROUPS
HAVE TARGETED AND ACTUALLY
REMOVED FROM THE PUBLIC
DISCOURSE?
>> I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'VE EVER
BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE THEM
COMPLETELY.
I KNOW OF ONE IN THE HISTORY
THAT'S HAD THE PLATES BROKEN.
THAT WAS LIKE IN THE 40s OR 50s.
IT HAS SINCE BEEN REISSUED.
I DON'T KNOW OF OTHERS.
SOMETIMES, HOWEVER, AN AUTHOR
CAN BE HURT BY HAVING SOMEONE
PRE-JUDGE THEIR BOOKS BEFORE
THEY EVER GET OUT THERE, WHICH
MEANS THEIR SALES DROP AND THEY
DON'T HAVE MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO
PUBLISH AGAIN.
IT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR VOICES
THAT AREN'T MOST FREQUENTLY
HEARD BECAUSE THEY REALLY DON'T
HAVE -- UNTIL RECENTLY, THERE
HAVEN'T BEEN THAT MANY BOOKS
PUBLISHED BY MINORITY VOICES.
NOW THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.
LIBRARIES ARE SUPPOSED TO
PROVIDE CHOICES.
BE IN A PLACE WHERE IDEAS CAN
DUEL IT OUT.
NOT PEOPLE BUT IDEAS TO
CHALLENGE THROUGH READING.
IT IS A MATTER OF CHOICE, NOT
INDOCTRINATION.
>> WE WILL L