Librarians fear new penalties, even prison, as activists challenge books
By HILLEL ITALIE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press
Across the country, book bans and attempted bans have soared to the highest levels in decades. Public and school-based libraries have been inundated with complaints from community members and conservative activists. And now some lawmakers are considering adding new threats: Crippling lawsuits, hefty fines, and even imprisonment for distributing books regarded as obscene or otherwise inappropriate. Bills in more than 15 states this year would add harsh penalties to libraries or librarians. No librarian or educator has jailed yet, but many advocates say even the threat is leading to more books being preemptively removed.
