Posted on Aug 11, 2023
Missouri librarians say Ashcroft's new state rules on 'obscene' content are 'vague' and confusing...
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A new statewide rule introduced by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has librarians concerned for their ability to curate their collections in a way that serves the entire community.
In order to comply with a rule introduced by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, public libraries in the state now require kids and teenagers as old as 17 to have adult permission in order to obtain a library card.
“What we're hearing from libraries is a lot of confusion,” said Missouri Library Association President-elect Kimberly Moeller. “The rule is vague enough in its language, so many libraries are attempting to be in compliance by saying, ‘OK, well, our new policy says that, if you agree as a parent for your child to have a library card, it means they have access to everything that the library contains.’”
Jason Kuhl, CEO of the St. Charles City-County Library district, said most of the issues the rule addresses have been in place in public libraries for years.
In order to comply with a rule introduced by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, public libraries in the state now require kids and teenagers as old as 17 to have adult permission in order to obtain a library card.
“What we're hearing from libraries is a lot of confusion,” said Missouri Library Association President-elect Kimberly Moeller. “The rule is vague enough in its language, so many libraries are attempting to be in compliance by saying, ‘OK, well, our new policy says that, if you agree as a parent for your child to have a library card, it means they have access to everything that the library contains.’”
Jason Kuhl, CEO of the St. Charles City-County Library district, said most of the issues the rule addresses have been in place in public libraries for years.
Missouri librarians say Ashcroft's new state rules on 'obscene' content are 'vague' and confusing...
Posted from kcur.org
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St. Charles
Posted 10 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Regardless of the new rule, Moeller said the mission of Missouri’s public libraries remains the same. “It's just a matter of, how do we comply with this rule in a way that still allows us to provide for a diverse community — without ever having those underrepresented voices taken away?”
The rule comes at a time of increased attention and scrutiny toward public libraries, which Moeller said is coming from a small, vocal minority.
“We have so many community members that are supportive,” she said, while adding that she would like to see more people share that message with state lawmakers.
“[Tell] your representatives, [tell] the people who support you at the state level how you feel about libraries, why they're important to you, why they matter, and that you want to see them continue to be supported.”"...
..."Regardless of the new rule, Moeller said the mission of Missouri’s public libraries remains the same. “It's just a matter of, how do we comply with this rule in a way that still allows us to provide for a diverse community — without ever having those underrepresented voices taken away?”
The rule comes at a time of increased attention and scrutiny toward public libraries, which Moeller said is coming from a small, vocal minority.
“We have so many community members that are supportive,” she said, while adding that she would like to see more people share that message with state lawmakers.
“[Tell] your representatives, [tell] the people who support you at the state level how you feel about libraries, why they're important to you, why they matter, and that you want to see them continue to be supported.”"...
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