Libraries have become a place of heated debate and controversy in the past few years, with many branches nationwide coming under fire for housing material deemed “inappropriate” by some.
Efforts have been made at the state level to change library policy concerning “inappropriate” material; the Louisiana House and Senate passed legislation last year regulating such items.
Effective August 1 of last year, Louisiana Senate Bill 7 (Act 436) established regulations on minors’ access to material deemed “sexually explicit” and allows parents to adjust their children’s access to library material with the use of a special library card.
Barry Bradford, director of the Tangipahoa Parish Library, stated that library policy has changed in reaction to Senate Bill 7.
“In compliance with State Law, our library has adopted a policy placing restrictions on juvenile library cards. Before this change, juvenile cards, issued to those 17 and younger, had no restrictions on materials they could check out,” Bradford said.
He clarified that although there have been challenges concerning library materials, the library has not placed full restrictions on displays or books. In all challenges, the Library Board of Control has voted to keep the materials in the location they were originally intended to be in.
The Louisiana Library Association has shunned Senate Bill 7, stating that it will “cause problems for libraries” and that the bill’s supporters presented disinformation about materials available in local libraries.
Dayne Sherman, the head of reference and coordinator of user education at the Sims Memorial Library, expressed concern over recent legislation affecting censorship in Louisiana libraries.
“I see current legislation and future legislation making it difficult not to censor material in any Louisiana library, including academic libraries,” Sherman said. “Book bans will not move Louisiana forward, and book bans are never treated well in American history.”
According to the American Library Association, 54% of book ban challenges in 2023 occurred in public libraries and 39% in school libraries. Additionally, 5% of challenges occurred in K-12 schools, while 2% occurred in higher education or other institutions.
Louisiana alone saw three attempts to ban books and 24 titles challenged in 2023.
According to KATC, the board of control for the Lafayette Parish Public Libraries System, in March 2024, banned thematic book displays on Women’s History Month, Black History Month and Pride Month.
Book bans have become a hot issue, with many libraries coming under heavy scrutiny over library materials. However, some book bans in the state have been reversed.
St. Tammany Parish’s Library Board of Control, in October 2023, reversed legislation that kept challenged material separate from material openly available to the public, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.
Students interested in learning more about book bans can use the Louisiana State Legislature’s bill search tool for more information on specific bills.
