Lawmakers have introduced a bill seeking to protect Nevadan’s access to materials in public libraries and prevent censorship based on content — in other words a ban on book bans.
The bill would protect the freedom to read and staff’s freedom to manage library content without political or ideological interference. It would also introduce criminal penalties for anyone who tries to intimidate or harm others over library materials in public schools, public libraries, library districts, and institutions of higher education.
It’s in response to a growing erosion of fundamental rights, said Assemblymember Britney Miller, one of the bill’s sponsors.
She said censorship efforts are not about offensive books, but about erasing marginalized communities.
“It’s not about the obscenity. The ALA (American Library Association) already said that one third of the books that were attempted to be censored were about racism or themes of racism. So this is what this agenda is really about,” Miller said.
She said it’s also a response to real incidents of harassment, including doxing and physical threats against library staff and educators. Under this bill, these would be considered felonies.
An anonymous library board trustee who contributed to the bill experienced harassment.
“It's concerning that someone doesn't want to come forward because they're still in that position, in that community,” Miller said .
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