Victory; Spokane County Library District Adds Internet Filters to Protect the Community; SafeLibraries Helped

Read this extremely detailed and inspiring post on how citizens successfully got Internet filtering applied in their local library, in this case the Spokane County Library District, Spokane, WA:

• "Victory," by Sister Adamson (Tiffani Adamson), A Small Moment of..., 19 September 2012.

"The Board voted unanimously in favor of the new revisions of the Internet Use Policy.  Everyone in the room applauded and it was a victorious moment!"  I have heard of this phenomenon before:

• "Public Breaks Into Applause for Library Board that Unanimously Voted for Internet Filters to Stop Porn Viewing in Public Library"

Apparently, communities love when libraries act on behalf of the citizens instead of on behalf of the ACLU/American Library Association [ALA].

For everyone's convenience, allow me to reprint "Victory" below.  My only addition is when communities are threatened with ACLU/ALA lawsuits for library filtering, no one ever comments that not filtering may lead to far worse consequences.  Example:

• "Sexually Harassed Librarian Gets $150K; Library Media Play Hide the Poppycock"

And let me add this.  Should the ACLU/ALA use test cases to attempt to overturn the library policy, consider if countersuit for vexatious litigation and its treble damages would be appropriate as the ACLU is likely merely bluffing/posturing—ACLU has already lost in Washington state on this issue and ALA "dogma" has already been exposed as being false.

Now here is "Victory":


WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Victory

My "Stand for Something" post written almost 2 months ago has made it's way onto Mormonwoman.org, and will soon be published on the Voices for Virtue website. It's been almost 3 months since the library incident and I have seen a huge response of supporters in favor of the SCLD making a change to their Internet Use Policy. 

It all began with one voice and then six at the board meeting in July, and now hundreds of voices have called, emailed, and written letters to Nancy Ledeboer and the SCLD Board of Trustees. Community leaders such as Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, Senator Mike Patton and State Representative Matt Shea, as well as church leaders from all over the Spokane area have united on this issue and are continuing to share concerns and make the public aware.

In July, Heather Nerren and I got to work and created a Facebook page called, "Stop Porn in Spokane Public Libraries." As of now we have 449 members on this page and it continues to grow. Big supporters like Dan Klineman the watchdog of safelibraries.org and Dawn Hawkins from Pornharms.com have been contributing valuable information and news articles to our page in order to inform the public of similar library incidents that are happening all over our nation.

Dawn Hawkins has made information available to those who want to fight pornography in their own local library districts.

Click on the Facebook Page and you can download the files which are...

A general Plan for Local Leaders
ALA Statements
General FAQ
The Law

Yesterday evening the Spokane County Library Board met to discuss the revision of their Internet Use Policy. The room was packed with community members and leaders. Not one chair was empty and some people had to stand. It was indeed a remarkable showing of support! I am honored to have been a part of it all and grateful for those who boldly stepped forward to voice their concerns.

The new Internet Use Policy will be posted on the library website soon. The old policy and revision (draft) is on pages 33-39 of the meeting agenda http://www.scld.org/about/agenda.asp

The Library Director of Information Technology, Pricilla Ice spoke and shared with us how the filters work on the computer. The district uses a Barracuda filter which is:

An integrated content filtering, application blocking and malware protection solution. It enforces Internet usage policies by blocking access to Web sites and Internet applications that are not related to library use, and it easily and completely eliminates spyware and other forms of malware from library computers. It blocks the following:

Blocks access to Web sites based on domain, URL pattern, or content category Blocks downloads based on file type Blocks applications that access the Internet, including IM, music services, and software update utilities Integrates with "safe search" filters built into popular images search engines Provides integrated gateway and desktop spyware protection Uses Barracuda Web Security Agents compatible with Windows PC’s and Macs to enforce Internet policies on off-network computers.

It also categorizes filtering by age appropriateness.

After Priscilla spoke, a lawyer, his name escapes me, expressed his concern about the financial and legal risk the library would possibly face if legal action was taken by the ACLU. What was amazing to me, was the library moved forward on the policy change despite the future opposition they could face with the ACLU or ALA.

Nancy explained the revision to the policy which basically is that the computers will have filters on at all times and if a patron wants to have access to a site that they need unblocked for research purposes they will have to fill out a request form, including the website they want to view. The library will have 72 hours to respond. The librarians have every right to say no if someone want to access sexually explicit material. Patrons may also ask for certain sites to be blocked if they deem them inappropriate.

The library staff will be monitoring the computers more frequently and any violators of their Internet Use Policy, will be asked to leave and/ or banned from the library for a year. If anyone sees suspicious activity they are asked to report it to the library and they will notify the police.
There is more to the policy of course and not all of it was discussed for sake of time, so I would encourage you to read through it and be educated. Share it with friends, your children and teens.

Several people were allowed to comment to Nancy and the Board before the voting of the policy took place. Everyone was respectful in their comments and the board generously addressed each of the comments. I felt the meeting went rather smoothly and thanked God that Good men and women stood up for the right.

I was very emotional throughout the meeting, several people thanked me for my boldness in bringing this issue to light and the board repeatedly apologized for the incident having occurred. I felt that I was validated in my efforts and I am grateful for those who stood beside me.

My comment to the board was something like this...

"...It takes one time for a child or teen to see a pornographic image and it can be enough to cause a lifelong addiction. I reiterated my experience at the library on July 2nd and mentioned that my 6 year old son would've easily see the pornography and become addicted from that one time. I shared my concern with them about the placement of their computers and how easy it was for a child, teen, or adult walking by the man to see pornography he was viewing.

"When I go to the library, I allow my children to look for books in the Children's Area and I migrate over to the self-help section which is right next to the computers. My children tend to walk over to the adult/teen section in search of me, to share with me the books they've found. They did that day and I immediately shielded them from the pornography. "

I then asked the Board to consider changing the placement of the adult/teen computers and thanked them for their time and efforts in hearing out the concerns of the public and revising their Internet Use Policy. They said they would think on that.

Many other comments were made thanking the board for their revision and sharing concerns about pornography. The lawyer's concern about the ACLU suing the district for blocking sites was also addressed by Dave Ross, one of the directors of Public Affairs for the LDS church in the Spokane Valley. He said something to the effect that, " The district shouldn't care about a legal battle when it comes down to protecting our children and the community."

I agree, if it comes down to a legal battle, the fight to protect our children is more important than the legal fees for the library district. I am sure the community would step up and give financial support if this were to happen.

Overall, I am pleased that they have taken this issue seriously and have taken the appropriate action to not allow porn sites in the SCLD. I felt the library board had genuine concern for the safety of our children and will be asking the Library staff in each library to be more conscientious by monitoring the computers better. 

Board members Mary Lloyd and Ann Apperson did however express their concern to us about making sure, as parents we talk to our children about Internet safety in general. They want us to keep a close eye on our children in the libraries. They mentioned that no public place is safe and we shouldn't allow our children to be alone at the library or use the Internet without a parent watching over them. 

Please read this post, "Talking to your Children About Pornography"  for some excellent information and resources that will help guide you as you talk with your children and teens about the dangers of pornography.

V for VICTORY

The Board voted unanimously in favor of the new revisions of the Internet Use Policy. Everyone in the room applauded and it was a victorious moment!

Just received the following email from the SCLD:

This letter is to update you on actions taken at the Spokane County Library District Board of Trustees regular meeting on September 18, 2012.

The Trustees approved a revised Computer, Wireless Network and Internet Use Policy effective October 1, 2012. This new policy prohibits the following while using any District resource:

· Engaging in illegal activities
· Accessing, viewing, or printing any illegal, obscene or sexually explicit material
· Engaging in activities that compromise computer or network security

The District utilizes filtering technology which will now begin providing two levels of filtering - “basic” and “enhanced”:

All member accounts, all library computers, and the Wi-Fi network are filtered at the basic level. The following categories of information are blocked with basic filtering: illegal, compromising computer or network security, and sexually explicit material.

Additionally, all accounts for members under the age of 13, and library computers located in the children’s area, are set to the “enhanced” filtering level: The enhanced filtering level blocks all of the same categories of information that are blocked with basic filtering, as well as other categories, as determined by the District, to be for adult or mature audiences only.

A library member may request that an Internet site be blocked, or unblocked for bona fide research or other lawful purposes, by completing a review form. Decisions about whether to block or unblock a site will be in accordance with District guidelines, within 72 hours of request.

Spokane County Library District appreciates the opportunity to engage in respectful discussions about the issues we face as a community, and we appreciate your participation in this conversation.

Sincerely,

Jane Baker

Communication Manager | Spokane County Library District

4322 N Argonne Rd | Spokane, WA 99212

509.893.8205 |www.scld.org

I want to take a moment to publicly express my appreciation for everyone who wrote letters, sent emails, and made phone calls to the Library Board of Trustees over these past 3 months. A big thank you to the churches that united together to voice their concerns and the dedicated leaders in the community that stepped up to support this cause. 

I especially want to thank Nancy Ledeboer and the library Board of Trustees for the countless hours they spent reading emails, letters, and answering calls from concerned citizens and carefully drafting a revision of their Internet Use Policy. I am hopeful that it will be a success and am happy to support the SCLD once again.

Lastly, I thank God for giving me the strength to Stand for Something, to be His voice in bringing darkness to light and for placing righteous and honorable people on my path to help pave the way for a victory. I couldn't have done any of it, without Him and without those who stood with me. I am honored to know you and call you a friend.

I'd like to encourage anyone who wrote to the SCLD or attended the Board Meetings to take a few moments to send a note of appreciation to Nancy and the Board. They took a huge step in the right direction for the safety of our community and it was not without a risk of future opposition and lawsuits. They took a brave stand and deserve our thanks and support. This decision is not a popular one with the American Library Association or the ACLU. Many libraries across our nation are dealing with this same issue and will hopefully support this cause as communities voice there concerns. 

NANCY LEDEBOER, Executive Director for the SCLD

nledeboer@scld.org(509)-893-8201

4322 N. Argonne Road
Spokane, WA 99212
BOARD OF TRUSTEES for the SCLD:
Chair: Tim Hattenburg
Vice Chair: Mary E. Lloyd
Trustee: Ann Apperson
Trustee: Daniel Davis
Trustee: Mark Johnson
https://www.scld.org/ask_scld_trustees.asp

If you could please contact the Spokane Public Library and encourage them to change their policy as well. They will be meeting soon to discuss their policy. 

Here is the contact information for the SPL:
Email: director@spokanelibrary.org

Mail to:
Pat Partovi
c/o Spokane Public Library
906 W Main Ave
Spokane, Washington 99201

Phone: 
(509) 444-5300

Email: trustee@spokanelibrary.org

Mail to:
Board of Trustees
c/o Spokane Public Library
906 West Main Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201-0976

Board Members:
Jack L. Fallis, Jr., Chair
Janice Marich, Vice Chair 
Jim Kershner, Trustee 
Nathan G. Smith, Trustee
Anne Walter, Trustee

Follow @SafeLibraries

Nashua Public Library Targets Children with R-Rated Films

The Nashua Public Library, Nashua, NH, is targeting local children, now with R-rated movies.  It is doing this in compliance with the American Library Association [ALA] diktat regarding "age" discrimination, not the interests of its own community.  The Nashua Public Library provides another example of the one third of American libraries controlled by the ALA.  And the false cries of "censorship" grow louder:

• "Nashua Library Lifts Age Restriction on Borrowing R-Rated Movies," by Patrick Meighan, Nashua Telegraph, 15 September 2012.

The library director proudly ditches community standards while substituting therefor ALA's child sexualization standards.  She wrote, "The borrowing restrictions violated basic library principles regarding intellectual freedom and I am glad we were able to finally lift them."  Those "library principles" where created by an ACLU Illinois state leader who joined the ALA, created the "Office for Intellectual Freedom," changed forever how librarians would approach children, then worked for decades to force ACLU/ALA diktat on local communities.

The Nashua library director is basically saying community standards no longer apply and anything goes.  Despite the title, it's really your library, but ACLU/ALA's choices:

• "Your Library, Your Choices," by Jennifer Hinderer, Nashua Public Library Blog, 13 September 2012.

Here is more on this topic, including direction the ALA gives libraries on movie ratings:

• "Keeping R-Rated Films from Children is Censorship, According to the ALA and the Fountaindale Public Library That Blindly Follows the ALA," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 25 June 2011.

Nashua citizens, are you going to let this woman control your library?  Are you going to believe her simply because she acts like she knows that she's doing?

Joe Walsh, "Lucky That Way"

—

I'll let you all in on a little secret

If I can share with you a thing or two

If you just act like you know what you're doin'

Everybody thinks that you do

While we're on the topic, as to R-rated films now being available to children, well, Joe Walsh said something that may apply, "Too bad for the children, they are what they see":

Too bad for the children—in Nashua, NH.

If anyone in Nashua including government officials wants my assistance in restoring local control to your own library and removing the ACLU/ALA influence, please contact me.  For example, did you know the US Supreme Court has essentially ruled the ALA's "age" discrimination policies are illusory:

The interest in protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling, as all Members of the Court appear to agree.

NOTE ADDED EVEN DATE:

Telegraph_MikeB @SafeLibraries blogger fires back at Nashua Public Library lifting age restriction on R-rated movies. http://safelibraries.blogspot.com/2012/09/NashuaPublicLibraryTargetsChildren.html 9/17/12 10:01 AM-Monday, 17September2012

SECOND NOTE ADDED EVEN DATE:

Read the comments below to see how the NH Library Association tacitly admits knowing what the NPL is doing is wrong and choosing instead to anonymously attack the messenger.  So now the NHLA is complicit.

Follow @SafeLibraries

Opposing FISA is the American Library Association's Latest Directive, on September 11, No Less

The American Library Association's [ALA] latest directive is to oppose FISA and its means to help prevent further terror attacks in the USA.  The ALA directive was made on September 11th, the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.  It uses paranoid scare tactics to motivate people to act, such as: "Watch what you say and do on your phones, emails and other communications":

• "Oppose H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012," by Lynne Bradley, American Library Association, 11 September 2012, emphasis and hyperlinks in original:

Oppose H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012 

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Lynne Bradley  

URGENT:  September 13th vote pending in the House on FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)

ACTIVISTS:  Use our legislative action center to send messages to House members opposing H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2012 or call your congressional representative now!

The message to all House members:  Oppose H.R. 5949 the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, H.R. 5949.  Protect Americans’ privacy and constitutional rights.  Do not extend the FAA sunset until December 31, 2017.

ALA asks library supporters to ask the House to oppose this latest attempt to reauthorize the FAA.  Unexpectedly, a quick vote on H.R. 5949, is scheduled for this Thursday, September 13th.

BACKGROUND:  It’s déjà vu all over again: Watch what you say and do on your phones, emails and other communications because, once again, the House of Representatives appears ready to reauthorize the 2008 FAA law that legalized the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program and more.  The American public, including our library patrons, will continue to be exposed to needless surveillance under this reauthorization.

The FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, H.R. 5949, (yes, this is the correct name of the bill and the law) would extend the provisions of the 2008 FAA to December 31, 2017, rather than letting the FISA sunset on December 31, 2012.  The government is allowed to get 12-month orders from the secret FISA court to conduct “dragnet surveillance of Americans’ international communications—including phone calls, emails, and internet records—for the purpose of collecting foreign intelligence.” *

As we did in 2008, the American Library Association (ALA) continues to argue against the FISA Amendments Act because of the FAA’s lack of transparency and the potential for abuse of the system that has been created.

....

* From the ACLU Washington Legislative Office web site where additional details are available: ACLU’s Washington Markup.

Furthermore, the ALA literally joined as co-signer with the Council on American-Islamic Relations [CAIR] to oppose FISA in the past:

• "CAIR Co-Sponsors Letter to Congress on Wiretapping," by Unnamed, Council on American-Islamic Relations, 6 March 2008.

By contrast with ALA, the Obama Administration supports FAA:

• "President Pushes to Extend Surveillance Law," by Siobhan Gorman, Wall Street Journal, 11 September 2012:

  The Obama administration is lobbying for renewal of a controversial 2008 surveillance law, warning that the U.S. would lose a critical intelligence-collection tool if Congress allows the measure to expire at year's end.
  
  As President Barack Obama emphasizes his national-security record in his re-election campaign, he's facing strong resistance from some lawmakers who say the law lacks sufficient privacy protections.
  
  The Republican-dominated House is expected as soon as Wednesday to pass the bill, which would extend the law for five years.  But its fate is less clear in the Senate, where Sen. Ron Wyden (D, Ore.) is blocking Senate consideration, ...

• "FISA Fight; Congressional Vote to Reauthorize Surveillance Program Highlights Administration Reversals on Spying, Transparency," by CJ Ciaramella, Washington Free Beacon, 12 September 2012.

See also:

• "POMPEO: FISA Amendments Should be Extended; Hunting Terrorists, Protecting Americans," by Rep. Mike Pompeo, The Washington Times, 12 September 2012.
• "House Approves Sweeping, Warrantless Electronic Spy Powers," by David Kravets, Wired, 12 September 2012.
• "House Votes to Renew Controversial Surveillance Law," by Ellen Nakashima, The Washington Post, 12 September 2012.

Do people realize George Soros is funding the ALA to shill for his own interests in support of terrorists?  Do people realize as self-arrogated "censorship" police, the ALA joined with CAIR to use pro-terrorist censorship to censor Robert Spencer, but parents keeping inappropriate material from children being "censorship" is the message of ALA's "Banned Books Week"?  Do people realize the ALA joined CAIR to oppose radicalization hearings?  And wasn't ALA uncharacteristically silent as terrorists destroyed a famous library in Timbuktu, Mali?

What does any of this have to do with librarianship, the proclaimed mission of the ALA?  Is the ALA in your community library having any influence at all?  Is it okay that a terrorist-friendly organization has influence over your local community library and local school library?

Has ALA political capital just been further attenuated by once again lining up on the losing side of yet another non-library matter?

While it is legitimate to oppose FISA, the ALA that supports terrorists remains true to form.  On September 11, no less.  On the day the U.S. Ambassador to Libya is killed.  On the day the U.S. Embassy in Egypt is attacked and destroyed.  Will ALA members do nothing about this?

The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision for America was used by the NYPD for counterterrorism training.  The ALA is part of the problem described therein when it works with CAIR to censor perceived/presumed opposition such as Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch, uses Soros funding to support Soros/CAIR's interests, or directly joins with CAIR to oppose national security interests having nothing to do with librarianship.

Oh, for the people shocked to hear the ALA supports terrorists, here's one more example, showing the ALA wished library patron privacy laws had protected a 9/11 terrorist from being reported to the police:

• "A Nation Challenged: Questions of Confidentiality; Competing Principles Leave Some Professionals Debating Responsibility to Government," by David E. Rosenbaum, The New York Times, 23 November 2001:  

  When the names and photographs were first released, Kathleen Hensman, a public librarian in Delray Beach, Fla., recognized some of the suspected hijackers in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as men who had used the computers in her small library.
  
  She immediately called the police.
  
  That broke a Florida law that guarantees confidentiality to library patrons.  It also violated a cardinal principle of librarians never to tell the police, in absence of a court order, about who uses their rooms and what books they check out.
  
  But almost no one thinks Ms. Hensman did the wrong thing.  Of course, she will not be prosecuted.
  
  ....
  
  Judith Krug, director of the American Library Association's office of intellectual freedom, said, "I would have felt better if she had followed the Florida law."

ALA has a lot of positive influence in our communities.  However, let's get the negative influence of the ALA's "Office for Intellectual Freedom" out of our public libraries, out of our school libraries, and out of our minds.  Its actions do not warrant our blind acquiescence.

Follow @SafeLibraries

Sweet Justice for Exemplary Library Director

BCLS Library Director Gail Sweet
Photo Credit Nancy Rokos BCT

Library director Gail Sweet is retiring from the Burlington County Library System, Westampton, NJ, after twenty eight years.  Read about all the wonderful innovations she has to her credit:

• "Sweet Closes Book as Longtime Library Director," by Danielle Camilli, Burlington County Times, 24 August 2012.

Read what I have written about her:

• "Et tu, Mary Minow? Then Fall, Gail Sweet!," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 2 August 2010.
• "Nominate Gail Sweet for I Love My Librarian Award," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 6 September 2010.
• "Revolutionary Readings Review: Go See It," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 21 August 2010.

"Censorship" Registered Zero on the Richter Scale

Look again at the Burlington County Times story.  Anything missing?  Nowhere is it mentioned that she removed a book from the library system having a graphic, shown below, of two men having anal intercourse while two Boy Scouts look on inquisitively.  All those shouts of "censorship" from the self-arrogated free speech crowd, as is noted in my writings above, and nothing mentioned about the book's removal in that BCT story.  Nothing.  It registered a zero on the Richter scale.

Picture in book that school and public library removed.

Communities Support Library Directors Who Stand Against False "Censorship" Claims

Despite all the astroturfed noise about "censorship" and discrimination against "LGBT" interests, many and perhaps most library patrons thanked Gail Sweet for what she did.  They stood behind her and supported her.  Quietly.  Gail Sweet doesn't have a 64,000 member library association to call on to raise false issues to promote an agenda foreign to the community, so most people don't realize how much the community supported Gail Sweet and is happy the book was removed.

This is an example of how community members will support library directors who stand up to the false shouts of "censorship" used to attempt to force a community to do as the ALA wants:

• "Will Manley Outs Library Profession as the Only One in the World That Wants Children to Have Access to Pornography; Annoyed Librarian Says Some Librarians Sound Like Smut Peddlars," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 2 May 2011.

As you retire, hold your head up, Gail Sweet:

And if they shout 

Don't let it change a thing that you're doing 

Hold your head up.

(Hold Your Head Up - Argent - 1972)

Same Book Removed From Local Public School and ALA Freaks Out

In the school local to Gail Sweet's library, Rancocas Valley Regional High School, the same book was removed.  Yes, it was in a public school, anal sex for kids and all.  The book was removed.  Even more noise from the "censorship" crowd arose from that.  That noise included:

• The school's media specialist being given an award for "research[ing] the motivations behind the challenges of three books on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues and up[holding] the principles of intellectual freedom...": "School Media Specialist Passes Sexual Content Review to Students; Dee Venuto Says It Is Discrimination to Keep Children From Material Including Lengthy, Vivid Descriptions of a Ménage a Trois," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 18 August 2010.
• The American Library Association [ALA] using this single instance from this single school of this single book as the means to fake its annual Top 10 Challenged Book List, and I have made available a recording I made of the book's author essentially admitting as such in response to a question I asked: "Banned Books Week is Gay Promotion? Author Admits ALA Faked 2010 Top 10 Challenged Book List," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 26 September 2011.  That is right, the ALA used the book removed by Gail Sweet that was also removed in the local school as the excuse to fake its annual list, likely to use the homosexual activist community to amplify the ALA's own agenda, and it worked.  The top book that year was also related to homosexual activity, it was also faked, and after I exposed the fake, it no longer appears on the list despite being on for five years straight.  Currently the ALA is faking its latest list to ride The Hunger Games movie wave, but I digress.
• The school's "media specialist" went over the head of her own school's administration to report to the ALA something that has nothing to do with removing school books having pictures of children watching anal sex: "Venuto discovered the book challenge to be part of a well-organized strategy, part of TV personality Glen [sic] Beck's 9/12 Project, to discredit Kevin Jennings, GLSEN founder and director of the Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools."  One of her supporters even called those who challenged the books part of a "terrorist group." 
• The school's "media specialist" joined the ALA's lecture circuit on "censorship."  Coincidentally or not, she said that my exposing ALA efforts to mislead communities was "changing the library profession":
  • "SafeLibraries Changing Library Profession According to Speaker at ALA 2010 Annual Conference; SafeLibraries Welcomes Media Requests for ALA Balance," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 14 August 2010.

Conclusion:  Sweet Justice for Exemplary Library Director

So when one reads that BCT story about Gail Sweet's retirement, and sees it written so wonderfully, and sees it has absolutely nothing about the book removal, that is evidence that the book removal issue was really a big zero to the vast majority of the community.  Although the "free speech" crowd had screamed "censorship" and even faked their annual "banned" books list using the book, the local press could care less and Gail Sweet apparently did not mention it either.  As one person said, "The ... elites have convinced themselves that they are taking a stand against cultural tyranny.  ....  [T]he reality is that it is those who cry 'Censorship!' the loudest who are the ones trying to stifle speech and force their moral world-view on others."

I see that as Sweet justice for an exemplary library director.  I see that as an example for the many libraries directors out there afraid for their careers to appear to oppose the ALA.  There are a few other library directors willing to stand against the false ALA shouts of "censorship," like Dean Marney, Jo Ellen Ringer, and Mary Hastler.  Instead of living in the ALA's chains, library director's like them have the key, and now Gail Sweet joins them to set the example for how to break free:

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains

And we never even know we have the key.

(Already Gone - Eagles - 1974)

Does your community library director have the key?

Brava, Gail Sweet!  Enjoy your retirement!

Follow @SafeLibraries