CLN: It’s no longer the 1950s

Regarding the change in library policy proposed by the majority on the Community Library Network Board of Trustees — As much as some might wish, we are no longer living in the 1950s. We cannot hide everything (thoughts, culture, events) that have happened in our society since the 1950s in a box. A society where knowledge is locked up in rooms, only accessed with permission of the patriarchal “keepers of the key” is simply a “dystopian society.”

The vision of most libraries is to provide physical and intellectual access to information in a warm, stimulating and safe environment. Would being required to “sign in” to access books in the “Smut Room” encourage a positive learning experience? Libraries are not just “store houses” for books. They promote individual self-development and encourage lifelong education in a comfortable, user-friendly environment.