Daniel Boone library board, workers’ union oppose Ashcroft rule; union to hold news conference
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees issued a resolution Monday afternoon opposing a proposed rule that would allegedly require libraries to determine if books are “age-appropriate” for children.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft proposed the rule in October. This proposed rule -- 15 CSR 30-200.015 -- impacts any library receiving state funding through the Secretary of State's Office, which would be most libraries including the DBRL. Under the rule, they cannot buy any books deemed "inappropriate" with state money.
The rule will be added to the Missouri register on Tuesday. There will then be a 30-day public comment period before it is finalized.
“The Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees believes that the right to read is an important part of the intellectual freedom that is basic to democracy,” the DBRL resolution stated. “The Daniel Boone Regional Library Board of Trustees does not support the removal of local control where library administration is concerned.”
The board also stated in the resolution that it will “not infringe on the parent’s right to choose materials for their children.”
Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United – a union formed earlier this year – also issued a press release on Monday stating it would hold a press conference Tuesday to speak out against the proposed rule.
The press conference will be at 1:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia.
“Too many Missouri politicians are trying to control what you and your children are allowed to read,” DBRLWU wrote in a press release. “Earlier this year, the Missouri legislature passed a law that restricted the types of books Missouri students are allowed to access in their school libraries. Worse than that, they threaten to fine and even jail school library staff.”
DBRLWU named Ashocroft in its release and criticized him.
“The Missouri Secretary of State, Jay Ashcroft, is trying to take away state funding for your local libraries unless the library forbids young people from seeing books that Ashcroft doesn’t like,” the release says. “He wants to empower small groups of extremists to show up at school board and library board meetings to try to take books away from other people’s children, including yours.”
