The backfire:
Soon, she would get her answer: Stacks of Amazon boxes containing new copies of the books the protesters checked out started to arrive at the library after The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on the protest. Roughly 180 people, mostly San Diegans, gave more than $15,000 to the library system, which after a city match will provide over $30,000 toward more L.G.B.T.Q.-themed materials and programming, including an expansion of the system’s already popular drag queen story hours.
(Stolen from article)
Mr. Burch said that his group does not encourage supporters to break the law. But, he said, if one decides to keep a book indefinitely, “that’s perfectly fine.”
I just…who’s going to tell him?
What I don’t get is how they were able to take out this many books - I understand (and generally agree with) policies to limit library fines, but that doesn’t mean you have to let people take out enough books to clear out an entire section.
Most libraries won’t stop you from checking things out unless you are already have unpaid fines.
In my schooling days I had occasion to check out like 20 books a couple times. I got some questions about why, but it was more curiosity and I even got a few suggestions for more books on the topic at hand.
Sure, but isn’t there usually a limit of like 20 or 30 books at a time? And you can’t take out more books after that without a) returning some of the old ones or b) admitting some of them are lost and paying to replace them.
From reading the article, it sounds like multiple people were involved. So, for example, I take out 20 books, then you take out 20 books, and then another person takes out 20 books. Between the 3 of us, we’ve now taken 60 books and not hit any limits.
Using this system, a small group of extremists could remove material from the library that they have decided is objectionable regardless of whether everyone else in their community thinks it is.
