Report: Arkansas Librarians Grapple With Enforcing Book Restriction Law After Court Ruling

From the Arkansas Advocate:

Arkansas library directors said they have several unanswered questions about how a 2023 state law restricting access to library materials will be enforced after a federal appeals court ruled that it can go into effect.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the injunction on two sections of Act 372 on July 30 but the formal order for the ruling to take effect hasn’t been issued yet.

The two sections create criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that some consider “obscene” or “harmful to minors,” and give city and county governing bodies the final say over library content.

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The Independence County Library in Batesville announced July 31 via Facebook that it would no longer allow patrons under 18 to check out manga content — comic books and graphic novels that originate from Japan — and adult-oriented graphic novels.

Library staff are combing through the restricted materials to find ones without any sexually explicit images and allow anyone to check them out, library director Carlene Morrison said Wednesday.

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The Independence County Library’s new policy is one of three options libraries face, said Nate Coulter, executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System and another plaintiff challenging Act 372. The other options are removing books from the library entirely or risking prosecution, he said.

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