![]() And frankly, they're being called names, or their ethics are being questioned,” Lonergan said. He’s had library directors call him in tears from harassment. James Lonergan, director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, said it’s a difficult time for library staff. Ludlow's school library proposal, either a highway to censorship or a barrier to 'pornography' That's what we're trying to eliminate here.”Īnd in Sturbridge, frustration over a public library-hosted event with a drag queen prompted critics to ask the Town Meeting to It has to do with pornographic books in our school - drugs, rape, obscenity books. "You guys are the ones that are making it LGBTQ. “Get this all through your heads," Soares said. , Ludlow parent Bella Soares spoke in favor of the proposed policy change and pushed back against criticism that removing books would discriminate against students who identify as LGBTQ+. To alter the types of books and media allowed in school libraries, and to shift decision-making away from librarians and to the school committee, generated significant debate before the town's school committee ultimately voted against it last month. Should be separated from where children may see them. Community members met with library officials and also lined up at a board of trustees meeting toĪrgue that "sexual" and "politically inflammatory" books ," a book about gender identity and expression. Most of those attempts were to censor materials or library programming about race and sexuality - the same topics that vocal conservative groups have for years sought to limit.ĭiscussions bubbled up in Dighton after the public library promoted " The towns of Dighton, Ludlow and Sturbridge have all been on the receiving end. Supreme Court ruling about censorship in schools. The surge in attempts to restrict access to library materials has alarmed free speech advocates, led to new legislation at the State House, and brought renewed attention to a landmark U.S. That number is even higher, according to the Massachusetts Library Association's own survey, which reportedħ8 formal and informal challenges to books and programming last year the fourth highest number of any state. ![]() The number of book challenges and complaints have reached record levels nationwide, including here in Massachusetts.Īccording to the American Library Association, Massachusetts sawĤ5 attempts to censor books and other library resources in 2022 ![]()
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