The Georgians have access to a public library in every district of the state and add up to more than 400 Public library branches. In 2024 the Georgia library card holders borrowed more than borrowed 11.7 million articles An increase of 407,500 articles compared to the previous year rose from their local public libraries. This enables library employees to ensure that materials are accessible, maintain various collections, support customers and do the work behind the scenes in order to keep the cash register systems smoothly. Nevertheless, these decisive specialists are exposed to an unjustified threat to criminal persecution due to the events at the Georgia legislature. Senate Bill 74 Would deduct the library employee in all public libraries (i.e. County, University, K-12 and municipal libraries) of protection against criminal law enforcement if they “knowingly” distribute material that is considered “considered”harmful to minors.”This sentence is defined in Georgia Code § 16-12-102 Based on the “obscene” of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The practical effect of legislation would be to criminalize library employees because they simply did their job.
For example, library workers would have to avoid criminal prosecution in accordance with SB 74, they should be familiar with the complete content of the hundreds of thousands of titles, which are contained in their library collections, and to keep in good faith to keep the media that adhere to a part that is classified as “harmful” as “harmful”, from a person under the age of 18 as feasible for library work Libraries can be classified. Patron that you meet.
As every parent can tell you, what is “harmful” for a kindergarten teacher can fully suitable for a high school junior, but SB 74 does not take these age differences into account. In addition, library employees will not be familiar with the availability of the library's reading rooms and the advent of self -examination machines that have collapsed or fulfill every person under the age of 18. According to the words of a career librarian in the state, “it would be almost impossible that minors never had contact with offensive material without keeping someone under the age of 18 from all library resources.”
This would have a relaxed impact on the material libraries in their collections and lead to unexpected restrictions in young people with libraries.
The Georgia's library workers have already given up a lot of age -appropriate content. There is available Selection processes This requires that materials that have been added to library collections meet certain criteria for quality, relevance and value. Regardless of whether a book is scientific, literary, historical or religious, it will take a review by workers for professional libraries into account, the factors such as the credibility of the author, the reading interest and the educational advantage.
Even if a book is considered controversial, its presence in a library indicates that it was determined by library experts to earn the involvement in the collection for public access, discussion or preservation. The criminalization of library workers for the enabling of customers to check books ignore the professional judgment, which is created by trained library workers when compiling their collections, and thwarts the basic role libraries that have the access of people.
Legislation reflects the past. Georgia has a long history in which an attempt is made to use state authority to limit access to information under the pretext of protecting the public. In December 1829Present Georgia adopted anti-literacy laws, criminalization Teachers for the upbringing of enslaved blacks. Later, Separate libraries Limited access to information for black and white readers. Legislation is to know a modern restriction of access, which is based on a definition of “harmful” materials imposed by the government, which are influenced by the government of certain topics or points of view.
Other states that have passed invoices similar to SB 74 have suspended costly legal disputes. In Arkansas, for example in July 2023 a Federal judge blocks temporarily Provisions that could imprison the library employees in order to provide minors “harmful” materials. Then in December 2024A federal judge decided these provisions unconstitutionalPermanent blocking of the implementation of certain provisions. If SB 74 passes, the taxpayers from Georgia could preserve the bill due to inevitable legal inquiries – court struggles that the state will probably lose.
The administration of the materials that young people access from their public libraries is best and adequately treated by parents and children who make their own family and age-specific decisions.
With more than 11 million checkouts In 2024 – an increase compared to 2023 – Georgian made it clear: public libraries are a necessary resource for a variety of and valuable information. By enables SB 74 to pursue library employees, SB 74 threatens to access both the variety of materials on the shelves and the ability of young people.
Library workers need their support. Call or send an e -mail Your local legislator And require you to oppose SB 74. Donations, voluntarily voluntarilyPresent Or just visit yours Local library– Since the library employees earn protection, no law enforcement.
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