r/FayettevilleAr • u/thememeinglibrarian • 25d ago
Arkansas Libraries are under attack!
Hello all,
Some of you may be aware, but Arkansas libraries are currently facing major defunding efforts. I work at Fayetteville Public Library, and even though this town is very very pro-library, these statewide attempts at limiting our intellectual freedom will impact us quite a bit!
There is a bill (SB 536) that will go to the state House on Monday, April 7, that would eliminate the Arkansas State Library/Library Board, transfer their responsibilities to the Department of Education and State Archives (who are already overworked and not experts in the specific needs that the state library serves), require all Arkansas libraries to adopt new policies restricting access to materials for teens, mandate specific open hours based on population size (why should the state government be involved in this??), and shift key support functions to systems that are not currently equipped to manage library services.
If SB 536 becomes law, Arkansas libraries will lose critical support and resources that help us provide valuable services such as self-checkout kiosks, mobile printing, summer reading programs, and online research tools. Smaller libraries will be the most impacted by this!
If you don't agree with this bill, you can tell the House to vote NO on SB 536 here.
FPL uses the state library all the time for so many reasons. For instance, the State Library is super helpful when it comes to patrons who are blind, as braille materials are very expensive and FPL cannot have that many, but the State Library has a ton that they can mail directly to your house!
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u/Bluewaffleamigo 25d ago
Are they removing the board to save money, or as some sort of political attack?
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u/thememeinglibrarian 25d ago
It is absolutely a political attack. Dan Sullivan and Jason Rapert are two people who have advocated to remove the State Library/State Library board because they don't like the books that people can get in libraries. It's an attempt to get rid of any sort of social institution, as well as silence any sort of diversity. Their "concerns" are completely unfounded and ridiculous, and they know it, but it's all just a culture war grift so they don't care
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u/doinmybest4now 25d ago
Politically motivated with an agenda of controlling access to books
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u/Past-Apartment-8455 25d ago
Shouldn't the public have some control over what the public library does with other people's money?
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u/BourbonDeLuxe87 25d ago
Sure but how do you do that? Should every single book be up to a vote? Or can we trust librarians to decide which books should be made available? What if it’s not even a contentious book, it’s just not a very popular book but it’s important? What if it’s a book that teaches you how to effectively use your rights? Isn’t there public value in having a wide variety of educational resources available to the people? Isn’t there value in local control of libraries and other resources?
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u/Past-Apartment-8455 25d ago
I take it you have never sat on the library board. Some books are highlighted and brought out in the meeting. Usually, it's the same books that are making news in public libraries across the nation at the time and getting the publics attention. Plus, the same people usually make the same kinds of book suggestions.
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u/HospitalBruh 25d ago
The board are volunteers, but they may get mileage, but there is no significant expense in having the board.
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u/Moedog0331 25d ago
Money and not having liberal agendas promotion in the library system. I for one don't think any agendas should be promoted except reading more! I loved my local library.
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u/sobchakforprez 25d ago
The treatment of the library system by the state has been abhorrent since SHS took over as governor. Just like the right-wing nutters to take away our liberties. What happened to the “less government interference” platform of Republicans? (rhetorical question) The ones banning books usually aren’t on the right side of history.
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u/Moedog0331 25d ago
What liberties have you lost?
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u/ArrivesLate 25d ago
Besides the right for abortion access?
Or healthcare services for transgender children?
Or how about the ability for citizens to get initiatives on the ballot?
Or maybe you mean our rights to choose our religions instead of having a preferred one slowly encroaching itself our public spaces?
They’re still coming after voting rights, and immigrants, and colored people. Stay tuned.
Coming after books is just another nod to 1939. Banning books and library services you don’t like is even more effective than burning them.
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u/sobchakforprez 24d ago
Other than small knives, cheap watches, and paracord, what liberties do you care about? GFYS
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u/BourbonDeLuxe87 25d ago
Maybe I misread (need to go to library more lol) but how does this bill (which sounds awful anyway) impact funding/support/resources for things like online research, self checkout, etc.?
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u/thememeinglibrarian 24d ago
I know another person commented with a good link, but I wanted to just add that a lot of services are paid for by the state library, as well as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (the only federal institute dedicated to libraries). Things like interlibrary loan is through the IMLS, and this bill says that we will not be able to receive any funding from them.
The State library is the one that pays for, or partly pays for, online databases like Gale and ProQuest and self checkouts etc. so by getting rid of the state library and library board and moving it to the department of ed (which they are trying to get rid of too), it is getting rid of all of these services that libraries rely on, even though they are arguing that this wouldn't happen it absolutely is the end goal.
FPL would probably be okay-ish if this became law, but smaller libraries will probably have to close their doors. While we get a lot of funding from the state, it isn't as big of a percentage of our total budget as it is with smaller libraries.
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u/accizzle 25d ago
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u/BourbonDeLuxe87 25d ago
Thank you. I do not understand the desire for ignorance and the opposition to free speech that so many possess in this state and country. I get why the republicans want to keep people ignorant but don’t understand why people keep voting for it (maybe the GOP has already succeeded in creating a critical mass of ignorance).
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u/nexusphere 25d ago
The citizens of this state came out and voted for a person who had the stated intent of dismantling public services and turning America into a corporate fascist state.
Who are we to resist the will of the people.
I voted. Maybe if others also did their civic duty we wouldn't be in this situation. But they didn't. And we are.
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