Missouri’s Jay Ashcroft aims to ‘hold libraries accountable,’ opening door to book bans

A new rule proposed by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft could kick open the door for special interest groups to dictate what books and materials are available for any child at local libraries.

Thank goodness libraries in Kansas City and St. Louis are pushing back against this state proposal, saying the rule runs counter to their right-to-read mission and intrudes on local control.

Ashcroft wants libraries to adopt written policies determining which books are appropriate for each age group, and allow parents to challenge those library decisions. As currently worded, the rule could allow challenges to come from far-right activists outside the state. And we’ve seen how in town after town across the country, conservative groups are challenging books whose ideas they disagree with.

Ashcroft himself might not be attempting to ban books, but his rule would invite others to do so.

The secretary of state, who by statute controls Missouri’s library system, insists the proposed rule is not anti-library. “We believe libraries are fundamental, and we have no interest in banning books,” Ashcroft told us, adding that his administration has contributed millions more in funding to the state’s libraries than any other in recent years. The lion’s share of funding for Kansas City area libraries comes from local tax dollars.

The rule prohibits children under the age of 18 from checking out books without a parent’s permission. That could mean a teen — 15, 16 or 17 years old — could not check out any book without first getting parental permission — a ridiculous expectation that serves to stifle reading.

The proposed rule says no state funds “shall be used to purchase or acquire materials in any form that appeal to the prurient interest of any minor.” What does that really even mean?

“It is going to have to be defined so we know what that is, because it is just too nebulous,” said Susan Wray, acting director of the three-county Mid-Continent Public Library system.

That vagueness seems intentional.

“Somebody could object to just about anything,” Wray said.

Moreover, public libraries aren’t just for children, so what would be the broader impact of this rule on the purchase of literature and other materials?

Across the country, conservative groups have wreaked havoc in schools, opposing masks during the pandemic and fighting against nonexistent “critical race theory” curricula. Now, to keep their political base engaged, they have escalated to challenging books — often about LGBTQ and Black people — demanding their removal from shelves.

In March, Mid-Continent Public Library trustees set out to block library programs to help LGBTQ youths, calling them pornographic. In August, Missouri adopted a law proposed by Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin, of Harrisonville, that bans school libraries from offering books that include sexual images.

That same month, South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell publicly demanded librarians remove multiple books intended for children from kids’ sections or face defunding. News outlets reported that he stood next to a leader with the anti-LGBTQ group Focus on the Family and said, “I’m trying to stop an indoctrination campaign against kids.”

The American Library Association this year reported a record number of attempts made to ban books in public and school libraries, calling it an “unprecedented” year of censorship.

Ashcroft said he proposed the rule to “hold libraries accountable.” But he also said he has not received complaints against libraries here.

The proposed rule ignores the varied intellectual developments of children. What is age appropriate for one child may not be for another. Those decisions are best made by a child’s parents. No parent should be allowed to make a decision that infringes on the freedoms of all other library users.

It is up to the library to determine age-appropriate material, which they do using the age appropriateness “suggested by the publisher or producers of the literature or materials,” said Joel Jones, deputy director of library services at Kansas City Public Library.

Trustees there drafted a resolution rejecting Ashcroft’s rule, saying it “stands steadfast in its commitment to uphold intellectual freedom.” St. Louis Public Library officials have also rejected the proposal.

Missourians have until Dec. 15 to comment on Ashcroft’s rule by sending comments@sos.mo.gov with “15 CSR 30-200.015” in the subject line. We encourage residents to do so. After all, public libraries that provide a wide range of materials and services to diverse communities play a fundamental role in our nation’s democracy.