Why burn books when libraries are doing the censor's work?  On January 25, 2021, the American Library Association (ALA) Council reviewed the role of libraries in condemning white supremacy and fascism.

Lindsay Cronk, who helped develop a resolution to "condemn white supremacy and fascism as antithetical to library work," believes this work to be "urgent."  Cronk bases this assessment on the January 6 attack in D.C.

Just a little more than two weeks ago, a mob, inflamed by misinformation and disinformation in the form of ideological rhetoric and carrying fascist and white supremacist symbols including nazi swastikas and confederate flags, attempted to interrupt and counteract democratic process.  They were emboldened by inaction from American institutions.

Facts be damned as Cronk continues.

Furthermore, "Over the course of consecutive ALA conferences, white allies have interrogated our fragility, and we've had experts provide a vision of how we can become an antiracist profession. We've  listened to and amplified the voices of our colleagues of color enough to acknowledge that diversity is not the solution to racism or fascism."

Finally, in impeccable radical leftist language, the ALA wants to explore "how we can do intellectual freedom and social justice work together."

In order to "disrupt whiteness in libraries and librarianship," the following titles are recommended.

• Collins, P. H. (2019). Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory. Duke University Press.
• Crenshaw, K., N. Gotanda, and K. Thomas. (1996). Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement. The New Press.
• Zuberi, T. and E. Bonilla-Silva. (2008). White Logic, White Methods: Racism and Methodology. Rowman & Littlefield.

Parts of the actual resolution read as follows:

1. Whereas libraries have upheld and encouraged white supremacy both actively through discriminatory practices and passively through a misplaced emphasis on neutrality,
2. Whereas these practices and arising environments have prevented equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries as workplaces,
3. Whereas ALA's Code of Ethics asserts that libraries will safeguard the welfare of all employees and coworkers ...
4. Whereas Interpretations of ALA's Library Bill of Rights notes that 'libraries should embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything that they do,' and to do so we must reject practices, movements, and groups that oppose equity, diversity and inclusion,
5. Whereas ALA has committed to acknowledging the past harms of racism and to works to encourage diversity through activities including ALA's Spectrum Program,
6. Whereas the realization of specific ALA Core Values of Librarianship (such as democracy, diversity, and social responsibility) is contingent on putting those values in practice and accountability to integrating those values,
7. Whereas libraries have a crucial obligation to provide access to accurate information which refutes white supremacist rhetoric,
8. Whereas moving forward with the trust of our communities requires address of past harms along with decisive action and restorative practices,
9. Whereas it is vital for ALA to manifest the courage and candor required by libraries and library workers around the world to reject and denounce white supremacy and fascism ...

Well, they certainly are not being neutral as they embrace an anti-American, anti-freedom agenda all gussied up with high-sounding verbiage.

In order to rectify these alleged past crimes, the ALA "[w]ill provide confidential communication channels for past and current BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) members, staff members, community members, and others to provide direct feedback."  Once that is accomplished, the ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will work to "explicitly incorporat[e] existing and developing antiracist and antifascist frameworks, in internal and external communications, advocacy, events, and organizational design efforts moving forward."  Lastly, the ALA will "establish a working group to review these areas ... to provide a list of recommendations for implementation that will explore opportunities for restorative and reparative measures."

In this brew of feel-good mea culpas is nary a word about what will actually be removed, made inaccessible, and twisted to fit the radical left-wing agenda.  Will White students be forced to read only Black authors?  Which authors will be removed from the shelves?  Mark Twain?  Will White librarians be required to sign confessions of guilt for being White?  Will Black authors who despise Critical Race Theory be expunged from the library — e.g., Shelby Steele?  Will Black authors who believed in personal responsibility be dismissed — e.g., W.E.B. Du Bois?

Will reading hour feature Golden Books or focus on Ibram X. Kendi's children's book titled Antiracist Baby?

Well, one answer can be found from the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), which asserts that "Black lives matter.  NJLA acknowledges the structural racism in our organization and profession, and NJLA must do better."  Thus, "[t]he New Jersey Library Association stands in solidarity with the Black community, librarians, library workers, library users and with members of the communities we serve.  We want our Black, People of Color and marginalized members to know you are valued, affirmed and supported.  NJLA acknowledges that in order to continue moving forward, there needs to be consistent work towards recognizing our own biases, welcoming change and taking actions that impact policies and create positive change in the direction of equity and inclusion."

Some of the goals include "recruiting a diverse slate of candidates for the Executive Board[.]"  Another action plan is to "[e]xamine the structure of NJLA that may prevent black and minority members from participating in NJLA leadership."

Ultimately, it is to "[o]ffer a diverse group of trainings for library administration.  Example: removing systemic racism in your library policy, practices and processes that privilege or disadvantage people based on race, ethnicity, and/or socio-economic status."  In addition, it is to "[o]ffer a diverse set of trainings for library staff.  Example: dealing with individual privilege, unconscious and implicit biases and racism."  

In essence, get as many leftists as possible into the system to dominate libraries and continue the work of censorship.  In effect,  people will no longer have access to all books and materials, except for  those that thoroughly support radical left-wing, communist agendas. 

That librarians have committed to a known Marxist group such as BLM is most revealing and shocking.  In fact, "a co-founder of BLM's Toronto branch is a young woman named Yusra Khogali, who in late 2015 posted the following message on Facebook: 'Whiteness is not humxness. in fact, white skin is sub-humxn[.] ... White ppl are recessive genetic defects. this is factual. white ppl need white supremacy as a mechanism to protect their survival as a people because all they can do is produce themselves. black ppl simply through their dominant genes can literally wipe out the white race if we had the power to.'"

Couple this with the rabid anti-cop sentiment of the BLM leaders, and this is the new face of your  once friendly library.

You have to hand it to the leftists — they never stop trying to destroy the country.  They infiltrate sports, business, and now libraries.  Heck, even math studies are guilty of "white supremacy [as it] manifests itself in the focus on finding the right answer."

Gone will be the days when students could travel the world through books "to take us lands away."  Instead, libraries will be the next leftist venue.  They will no longer bear the human soul, but instead will indoctrinate the upcoming generation to communism, "the deadliest ideology in history, imperiling not only minds but also souls."[1]  What ugliness will abound.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com.

Hat tip: PK.

Image: Movidagrafica Barcelona via Pexels, Pexels License.