This Election Will Determine the Fate of Libraries

Imagine waking up one day to a targeted smear campaign insinuating that you, a school librarian, are advocating the teaching of anal sex to 11-year-olds. This is exactly what happened to me in 2022 after I gave an innocuous speech about censorship at my local public library board meeting. As a 44-year resident and mother of a child in my community, I was shocked and hurt. Not only that, but these individuals, whom I didn't even know, and some who I have known my entire life in my small, two red light town in Louisiana, suddenly had big opinions about my character. Speaking out in support of my public library system created a surge of hurt and defamation. People in my community called me a pedophile and groomer. I received death threats.

That was two years ago, and it is still happening. The mental and physical anguish of this trauma have been relentless. To make up lies about someone is wrong. To join in on the complete dogpile of a stranger is hurtful. And to target and harass an innocent librarian, to use Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz’s term, is just weird.

The United States has seen an unprecedented attack on librarians and libraries over the past three years, and the hate is growing as we head towards the presidential election. In recent remarks on the campaign trail, Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance proclaimed that people “want to put sexually explicit books in toddlers’ libraries.” This statement is not only an outright lie, but also incredibly harmful to librarians and community members alike. In fact, hundreds of librarians and educators across the U.S. are facing these baseless accusations for the so-called crime of speaking up for intellectual freedom.

Read More: The United States of Political Violence

So let’s tell the truth: Librarians are community helpers who provide resources for all. And the rapid spread of misinformation and hate towards librarians on social media platforms, and by talking heads in the media, is causing chaos in our nation’s libraries. It’s also cause for a rise in anti-library legislation by extremists.

The tactics are always the same. It begins with rumors of alleged pornography in libraries that don’t exist. The attacks then turned into anti-library legislation in state legislatures with bills to defund libraries, criminalize librarians, and devalue the profession as a whole. The books targeted are often books by and about the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. Politicians like La. Gov. Jeff Landry stir up false drama in order to swoop in for solutions to problems that do not exist. Instead of setting up a tip line to report sex abuse of children in La., which is a huge issue, Gov. Landry created a tip line to report librarians and educators who allegedly give children sexually explicit material. He provided no evidence that there are obscene materials in school libraries or children’s sections of public libraries. He still hasn’t, but the damage has been done. His actions have caused real hurt.

Attacking librarians and using us as political pawns is a way to pander for votes and support, and it threatens one of the last remaining public institutions where families can go for no-cost support and resources. The outcome of our November presidential election will determine whether or not these attacks on libraries and librarians continue.

It’s important to remember that these agendas are not being pushed by librarians. Librarians are simply providing books that represent everyone in the community, because community members, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, or political affiliation, deserve to see themselves represented. And yet, we are increasingly seeing a far-right faction of extremists wage a complete war on us.

Extremists take pages from books out of context, and insinuate the books are pornographic or falsely claim they are in children’s sections of libraries. They post false information on social media that is shared thousands of times and believed because it has become commonplace to believe everything one sees on social media. They target librarians and educators, who just want to provide age-appropriate books for all patrons and students in their schools and communities, with smear campaigns.

This is all done under the guise of “parental rights,” as if the rest of us don’t want what is best for all children. I do not know a single librarian who does not always have the best interests of children in the forefront of their every move. The “think of the children” crowd harass and defame librarians. They set horrible examples for children on how to behave, and showcase a barrage of hate and false information attacking their children’s educators and librarians.

It’s no wonder teachers and librarians are leaving the profession in droves. Perhaps that is the goal because this very same extremist crowd pushes charter schools and privatizing libraries. If they are able to devalue public schools and libraries, they funnel money through charter schools and private libraries that are not under the same obligation to provide access for everyone in the community. Then children can be indoctrinated into the same religious, political, and authoritarian beliefs that tend to further discriminate against historically marginalized communities.

Each day, I wake up wondering where the next attack on libraries will come from and reflect on how we got to this point as a country. I am ready for the tide to turn from weird, wrong, and hurtful to a world where we can be genuine, true, and kind. I am ready for America to do better.