Letter: Libraries have a place for everyone

Throughout the state of North Dakota, just a few organizations are trying to advance the concept that the voices of the marginalized haven’t any place of library cabinets. They’ve introduced forth requires the censorship of books and different sources that relate to the lives of those that are homosexual, queer, or transgender or that inform the tales of individuals of shade. By claiming that these works are immoral and subversive; they try and sway elected and non-elected officers to desert constitutional ideas and particular person rights.  They’re resorting to intimidation and threats whereas concentrating on the security and livelihoods of library employees, educators and board members who’re devoted to the general public service and our communities. 

North Dakota Library Affiliation strongly condemns these acts of censorship and intimidation.  

We’re dedicated to defending the constitutional rights of all people, of all ages, to make use of the sources and providers of libraries.  We champion and defend the liberty to talk, the liberty to publish, and the liberty to learn, as promised by the First Modification of the Structure of america. 

We stand against censorship and any effort to coerce perception, suppress opinion, or punish these whose expression doesn’t conform to what’s deemed to be orthodox in historical past, politics or perception. The unfettered change of concepts is crucial to the preservation of a free and democratic society.

With the liberty to learn underneath risk, the NDLA, together with its Govt Board, Sections, and different items stand firmly with our members, your entire library group, allied organizations, and all these throughout this nation who select to train their very own proper to learn and entry data freely, and we name on others to do the identical.

Kerrianne Boetcher is president of North Dakota Library Affiliation. She wrote this letter with the help of the NDLA government board.

This letter doesn’t essentially mirror the opinion of The Discussion board’s editorial board nor Discussion board possession.