THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> AN ANONYMOUS GROUP IS ASKING THE IRON RIVER LIBRARY TO REMOVE NEARLY 500 LGBTQ+ RELATED MATERIALS FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF LIBRARY BOARD MEMBERS.

THE TOWN IS LOCATED IN BAYFIELD COUNTY IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND HAS JUST A THOUSAND RESIDENTS.

THE REQUEST CAME IN THE FORM OF A LETTER FROM, QUOTE, CONCERNED CITIZENS.

WE WERE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE IRON RIVER LIBRARY ABOUT THIS ATTEMPTED BOOK BANNING BUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIBRARY BOARD CANCELLED OUR INTERVIEW AT THE LAST MINUTE.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE THEY ARE TRYING TO GATHER MORE FACTS ABOUT WHO IS BEHIND THE LETTER, BUT THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR SAYS THEY ARE NOT PULLING THE BOOKS.

THIS FOLLOWS A TREND OF CONSERVATIVE GROUPS AROUND THE COUNTRY ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE BOOKS RELATED TO LGBTQ ISSUES.

JOINING US IS LOUISE ROBINS, A UW MEDICINE PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF LIBRARY INFORMATION SCIENCES AND STUDIES.

THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO ARE THERE PARALLELS IN HIS TROY THIS CURRENT MOVEMENT TO BAN BOOKS, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO MARGINALIZED GROUPS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.

I THINK SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT EXAMPLES ARE DURING THE MCCARTHY PERIOD DURING THE 50s, THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF ATTEMPTS TO SENSOR BOOKS RELATED TO COMMUNIST BUT ALSO TO PEOPLE OF COLOR.

AS IT WENT ALONG THE -- LET ME BACK UP THERE A MINUTE.

THEY WANTED TO BAN CHEAP PAPERBACKS AND COMIC BOOKS.

ONE PERSON TESTIFIED BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, SAID COM COMICBOOKS WOULD BLOW YOUR BOY'S BRAINS OUT SO THEY WERE RATHER ALARMIST.

THE TARGETS WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR, JEWISH AND NON-BBINARY THEN.

THEN A BOOK WITH A BLACK BUNNY AND WHITE BUNNY NEARLY CAUSED THE FIRING OF THE LIBRARIAN OF ALABAMA, EMILY REED, BECAUSE THE STATE SAID IT PROMOTED INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY CRITICS OF LIBRARIES WHO ATTACKED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME TOPICS, LIKE TODAY'S MOMS FOR LIBERTY.

>> THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN PRETTY REGULARLY.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT CAN A REQUEST LIKE THIS HAVE ON A SMALL COMMUNITY?

>> WELL, IN MY EXPERIENCE IT CAN DRIVE AWAY WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH PROTESTERS.

THAT MEANS IN A COMMUNITY -- A SMALL COMMUNITY THEY MIGHT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT BRAIN DRAIN AND SPLIT UP THE COMMUNITY SO PEOPLE WHO HISTORICALLY WORKED WELL TOGETHER NOW DON'T.

SO IT CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT.

THE GROUP I STUDY ED IN OKLAHOMA IN THE 50s, A LARGE NUMBER OF RESEARCHERS, WITH PHILLIPS PETROLEUM FLED AND WENT ELSE WHERE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN SUCH A PLACE.

THE SAME KIND OF THING COULD HAPPEN.

NOT ON THAT SCALE, OF COURSE.

>> THAT IS RIGHT.

SO THE BOOKS IN QUESTION HAVE TO DO WITH GENDER AND SEXUALITY.

HOW DO LIBRARIES ASSESS WHAT BOOKS ON THESE TOPICS GO WHERE IN THE INTEREST OF, YOU KNOW, ALL FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE AVAILABLE BUT NOT OUT IN FRONT IF NOT APPROPRIATE?

>> WELL, THERE ARE SEVERAL THING THAT IS DO.

THEY CONSULT REVIEWS.

THEY LOOK AT -- WHICH ARE AWARD-WINNING BOOKS.

THEY HAVE A COMMITTEE OFTEN THAT DECIDES ON WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO INCLUDE AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT -- NUMBER THE CONCERNED CITIZENS CITE IS A NUMBER HELD IN AWE IN NORTHERN WATERS LIBRARY SERVICE LIBRARIES APPARENTLY.

ALSO ON STATE E-BOOK COLLECTIONS.

SO IT IS NOT ANYTHING THAT -- IF ONE LIBRARY HAD 450 TITLES LIKE THAT, IT WOULD BE VERY LOPSIDED.

SO WHAT THEY TRY TO DO IS PROVIDE FOR THE READING INTEREST OF A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND BE SURE THEY HAVE THINGS ON VARIOUS SIDES OF AN ISSUE THROUGH CONSULTING REVIEWERS, QUALITY LISTS AND SO ON.

JUST THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD TRY TO SELECT A PRODUCT FOR YOUR HOME.

YOU CONSULT THOSE REVIEWS.

>> SO IF THERE ARE PARENTS OR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SOME BOOKS IN A LIBRARI, WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO IT, TO TALK TO A LIBRARIAN ABOUT THAT?

>> THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A RECONSIDERATION FORM USUALLY IN MOST LIBRARIES ARE PROCESSED.

I DO BELIEVE ALL THE LIBRARIES IN THE NORTHERN WATERS AREA HAVE SUCH A PROCESS.

BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO HAVE READ THE BOOK.

THEN YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC.

SO THAT YOU DON'T JUST GO IN WITH A LIST OF 150 BOOKS AND SAY ALL OF THESE ARE BAD.

YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AND MAKE A LOGICAL COMPLAINT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO DO THAT.

SOMETIMES THEY RESULT IN A CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR THE -- IN SHELVING FOR THE BOOK.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, NOT REMOVAL UNLESS THE BOOK IS CLEARLY BEYOND THE MARGINS.

>> SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT.

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BOOK BANNING EVER WORKED?

ARE THERE EXAMPLES SMALL GROUPS HAVE TARGETED AND ACTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE?

>> I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE THEM COMPLETELY.

I KNOW OF ONE IN THE HISTORY THAT'S HAD THE PLATES BROKEN.

THAT WAS LIKE IN THE 40s OR 50s.

IT HAS SINCE BEEN REISSUED.

I DON'T KNOW OF OTHERS.

SOMETIMES, HOWEVER, AN AUTHOR CAN BE HURT BY HAVING SOMEONE PRE-JUDGE THEIR BOOKS BEFORE THEY EVER GET OUT THERE, WHICH MEANS THEIR SALES DROP AND THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLISH AGAIN.

IT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR VOICES THAT AREN'T MOST FREQUENTLY HEARD BECAUSE THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE -- UNTIL RECENTLY, THERE HAVEN'T BEEN THAT MANY BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MINORITY VOICES.

NOW THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.

LIBRARIES ARE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE CHOICES.

BE IN A PLACE WHERE IDEAS CAN DUEL IT OUT.

NOT PEOPLE BUT IDEAS TO CHALLENGE THROUGH READING.

IT IS A MATTER OF CHOICE, NOT INDOCTRINATION.

>> WE WILL L