Guest Editorial: May 1, 2023

Intellectual freedom is a fundamental human right that allows individuals to freely access, explore, and express their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs without fear of censorship or persecution. It is a cornerstone of democracy, education, and cultural advancement. It allows individuals to explore diverse viewpoints and ideas, which is essential for personal growth, critical thinking, and creativity. Without intellectual freedom, people are limited to a narrow range of perspectives and ideas, which can hinder their intellectual development.

Banning books limits people’s access to information, ideas, and perspectives, which can ultimately harm the intellectual development of a society.

Books have always been a vital source of knowledge and have played a crucial role in shaping our worldviews. They offer a wealth of information and a diverse range of perspectives on different topics, including history, politics, culture, and society. However, when books are banned, people are denied the opportunity to learn from them and are prevented from accessing important ideas and perspectives.

Banning books also goes against the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression. Censorship of books can be seen as a violation of this right and can limit the ability of individuals to express themselves freely. It can also limit the ability of individuals to access information and make informed decisions based on that information.

House Bill (HB) 1205 and Senate Bill (SB) 2360 are the two bills of concern.

HB 1205 will ban public libraries from containing books with sexual material, including anything from depictions of deviant sexual intercourse, sexual intercourse, and any obscene material of the standards of the average North Dakotan person. The bill states that works of literary, artistic, political and scientific significance could be exempt, but does not cover whether it is only in young adult and children’s books, which means that adult fiction will also be affected.

SB 2360 is very similar to HB 1205, except that it removes the exception for schools and libraries from the obscenity control law, meaning that library staff could be charged with a misdemeanor. This also adds in policies for digital and online resources offered by school districts and state agencies.

What I worry about is the vagueness of the language in these bills. A sense of ambiguity in a bill such as this will ultimately lead to confusion that even lawmakers may not think of. Who is tasked with deciding what is allowed in the library and what is not, and is that from that person’s personal opinion? Isn’t this too subjective when it is not clarified in the bill? These are just some of the worries that the library staff has had on their minds since the legislature introduced them.

Our libraries already have policies in place for choosing children’s books and policies in place for book challenges, however in the almost 16 years I have been at the library there has never been a book challenge.

Overall, banning books is a harmful practice that can have serious consequences for the intellectual growth and development of society. Instead, efforts should be made to promote open access to information and encourage discussion and debate on controversial topics.

Editor’s Note: HB 1205 was signed by Governor Doug Burgum on Wednesday, April 26. SB 2360, however, got a veto from the governor. The Senate voted to override the veto Wednesday, and the House had yet to act.

This editorial reflects the individual opinion of Susie Sharp, not the city, county or library board.