Cal Thomas gets it wrong on libraries

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas missed an important distinction in his diatribe of the American Library Association (ALA) Office of Intellectual Freedom in Wednesday’s Gazette. He took out of context ALA’s Deborah Caldwell Stone’s statement, “A parent or group should not have the right to restrict through government action what another parent’s child may choose to read.” Thomas proceeded to apply that statement to classroom content. Caldwell-Stone was speaking about materials available in a library — a place the courts have recognized as an environment for voluntary inquiry. In Pico v. Island Trees, the courts considered an attempt to ban several books and made a point to separate the library from the curriculum. Books, in that case, could be removed from the curriculum, but the court was explicit in supporting their place in the library where users can voluntarily choose whether or not to read them.

When Thomas tries to tie the library to his criticism of material in a classroom, he is conflating two distinct issues. Classroom curriculum, indeed, falls under the purview of the school district, and the board has the right and responsibility for its content. Libraries, on the other hand, are a “marketplace of ideas,” and as such have a duty to provide materials across viewpoints and perspectives for voluntary inquiry.

Jean Donham

Iowa City