A severe challenge to intellectual freedom nearly came to pass in a small Utah town early this month. The Tremonton city council actually approved an ordinance that would have made parental consent mandatory for any minors to check out a work of "adult fiction" from the Tremonton City Library. A city council member who also holds a library board seat actually admitted that he erroneously voted for the ordinance, believing that the board must have approved it. Naturally, the head librarian strenuously objected to this ordinance, correctly citing it as an attack on intellectual freedom. Luckily for Tremonton, the council repealed the ordinance before it ever took legal effect. Furthermore, the council amended their process to require individuals making agenda requests to appear at the meeting and state their cases to prevent future confusion.
This news story caught my attention because it emphasizes the precarious nature of local politics and the hazards they may pose to libraries. As a strong believer in public libraries, I was appalled to realize how easily a city or county council could hamper intellectual freedom. Although this story had a happy ending, other challenges might not be so innocuous. While this ridiculous rule might have been ultimately appealed as unjust, the interim repercussions would have been devastating to that library and its patrons. The Tremonton situation offers a great reminder to all librarians to monitor local politics, to elect competent, invested individuals, and to be prepared to defend intellectual freedom in the public domain.
Link to the original article describing the ordinance:
http://www.standard.net/live/news/171594
Link to the follow-up article explaining its repeal:
http://www.standard.net/live/news/171772
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