100 signatures reached
To: Paris–Bourbon County Public Library Board of Trustees and all City, County, and State Officials
Support the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library
The Paris–Bourbon County Public Library faces a rapidly growing number of challenges to its collection and services from a very vocal, very small group of individuals who seek to impose their own religious or moral beliefs on others in the community.
I urge you to consider the following in regard to public library opposition:
• I support the Paris–Bourbon County Public Library and its mission to provide materials and programs that serve the needs and interests of all in my community.
• I trust my library professionals to preserve and protect intellectual freedom and diversity of expression in accordance with the library’s policies for collection development and circulation.
• I believe the library is responsible for making available a wide range of information and programming that reflect its entire community, while library users are responsible for what they and their families choose to use.
• And I oppose any legislation that would ban books; censor library materials, programs, or services; infringe on the privacy of library users; or make library board members, administration, staff, or users criminally liable for information access or use.
I urge you to consider the following in regard to public library opposition:
• I support the Paris–Bourbon County Public Library and its mission to provide materials and programs that serve the needs and interests of all in my community.
• I trust my library professionals to preserve and protect intellectual freedom and diversity of expression in accordance with the library’s policies for collection development and circulation.
• I believe the library is responsible for making available a wide range of information and programming that reflect its entire community, while library users are responsible for what they and their families choose to use.
• And I oppose any legislation that would ban books; censor library materials, programs, or services; infringe on the privacy of library users; or make library board members, administration, staff, or users criminally liable for information access or use.
Why is this important?
Confrontational mega-challenge campaigns divert library professionals divert library professionals and administration from the work of creating a vibrant, fresh collection. These campaigns are designed to use financial and human resources in order to call for defunding public libraries.
Often the ultimate goal of these campaigns is to remove a community's public library completely. Censorship campaigns destroy the First Amendment rights of readers, create an anxious and uncertain atmosphere for the vast majority of library users, and ultimately damage communities.
Often the ultimate goal of these campaigns is to remove a community's public library completely. Censorship campaigns destroy the First Amendment rights of readers, create an anxious and uncertain atmosphere for the vast majority of library users, and ultimately damage communities.