North Dakota: “Public Libraries in Region Still Figuring Out Next Steps Moving Forward Following Passage of House Bill 1205”

From the Grand Forks Herald:

For staff at Grand Forks Public Library and Lake Region Public Library in Devils Lake, the next steps moving forward following the passage of House Bill 1205 are still being determined.

Tonya Palmer, the information services supervisor at Grand Forks Public Library, said at this point in time the North Dakota Library Association has been looking at how the bill could be interpreted and what the next steps are for libraries in the state.

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House Bill 1205 was signed by Gov. Doug Burgum on April 25. The bill – introduced by House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson – seeks to remove or relocate “explicit sexual material” from children’s collections in public libraries.

The bill defines “explicit sexual material” as “any material which, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of minors; is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community in North Dakota as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”

A compliance report will be required from each public library to indicate “the implementation of collection development and relocation of materials policies.”

Learn More, Read the Complete Article (about 840 words)

See Also: Learn More About HB 1205 (Including Link to Text)

Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries