Libraries shouldn't be restricted

On May 30, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft issued a rule concerning the state's public libraries. It dictates how libraries, which receive state funds, must operate. The new policy bans them from buying materials deemed obscene by state statue and from having certain displays in children's areas. It also requires libraries to develop and publish policies on certain topics, including the selection of children's materials, and letting parents decide what materials individuals up to the age of eighteen can access. Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in the termination of the Collection Development funds a library receives from the state.

The secretary says these rules will allow children to be children a little longer than a pervasive culture may often dictate. It would seem that Secretary Ashcroft doesn't realize that the material, which he wants to restrict, can be easily accessed on the internet, but it is not in the collections of public libraries.

In contrast to the secretary of state's rule, I would submit that young people in secondary training should have access to different points of view and have the obligation to learn how to discern the reliable from the irresponsible. In order to do this, they need to have unrestricted access to all of the varieties of thought, which are written and recorded. Having a library with a wide-ranging collection and encouraging its use is an important way to support and teach the proper use of the freedom of thought.

John R Piepho, Cape Girardeau