A librarian in Maine actually did his job. And was backed up by the library board. At issue: a book that didn’t meet the pro-trans ideology.
‘I want the library to be there for everybody, not just people who share my voting record,’ Boulet said. So he chose to place the book on the shelves, a decision supported by library staff.
Once the book hit the shelves, the shit started to hit the fan. At first quietly because it’s Maine. He was asked to keep the book behind the counter and make it only available upon request. And the library’s committee voted no to that idea.
He was accosted, accused of hate speech, and told that if a wanna-be trans child read the book and committed suicide it would be on his head.
Not surprisingly, when he reached out to the American Library Association for support, he received no response.
They finally came out with lukewarm support.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said the request had sparked debate within the organization.
‘Our position on the book is, it should remain in the collection; it is beneath us to adopt the tools of the censors,’ she said. Months later, Caldwell-Stone ran into Boulet at a conference and apologized.
So it’s refreshing to see librarians staying neutral and putting stuff on the shelves that they might not agree with, but don’t feel like playing at being censorship tin gods.
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