A mom of three living in Idaho Falls recently went viral after having her kids forbidden from accessing her local library.
“Kids have lost access to public libraries,” Carly Anderson stated in a TikTok video. “That sounds dramatic, but this is a real-life story that happened to us yesterday in Idaho.”
The incident occurred when Anderson and her 11-year-old daughter Scarlett went upstairs to look for a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring since she had recently finished reading The Hobbit, but they found a new sign barring their entrance.
Highlights
- Idaho mother Carly Anderson goes viral after being barred from a local library with her children due to new state regulations.
- New state law, House Bill 710, effective July 1, 2024, restricts children from accessing certain sections of libraries without parental clearance.
- Some community libraries have opted to close or restrict children's entry entirely rather than restructure or face lawsuits.
"The sign says that if you are under 18, you're not allowed up there unless you have an unrestricted library card or your parent that is over 18 signs an affidavit for you," she explained.
The mom then proceeded to show her ID and her daughter’s library card, but it wasn’t enough.
"But no, why don't they let me? Because I'm holding a baby, my 1-year-old," she added.
Turns out that due to the baby’s inherent inability to sign a library card, none of them could enjoy the library. This seemingly ridiculous measure came as a result of a recent change in regulation that went into effect on July 1, 2024.
An Idaho mother of three went viral after getting barred from accessing a library with her kids as a result of new regulations
Image credits: carlyjdot
Anderson was quick to point out that the workers were not to blame, instead sympathizing with them for having to enforce what she considers to be a ridiculous rule.
"They were being so nice and patient... I felt like the librarians were sick of it. They feel so bad turning kids away from going into the library."
"They said that because I had a baby there (who can't read), I'm not allowed in the library with her unless she has a library card or I signed an affidavit. So, me and Daphne just watched from the edge while Scarlett goes in to find her book. The librarian ended up helping her."
Image credits: carlyjdot
The mom continued her clip by arguing that restricting children from exploring the library might interfere with their development and learning process.
"My heart broke because what about these kids that aren't coming in with their parents?"
"What about the Matildas out there that literally come to the library to just read, read, and read and then gain superpowers because they're Matilda?"
"What about the Hermiones out there that find amazing answers because they go into the Restricted Section of the library?"
The measure comes as a result of a new state law by Idaho’s House of Representatives, which threatens libraries with legal repercussions if they make books containing what they consider to be adult-only themes available to children
Image credits: carlyjdot
House Bill 710, which went into effect on July 1, 2024, was created with the intent of protecting children from having access to material considered harmful to minors. It lists items such as nudity, sexual conduct, sexual arousal, and sadomasochism, among others.
The bill allows parents to sue public or school libraries if they believe their kids are being offered material related to the above elements, which has the unintended consequence of forcing these establishments to protect themselves by enforcing measures like the one Anderson and her children encountered.
Image credits: carlyjdot
"All public and school libraries are having to work around this new bill to make sure they don't get sued," Anderson explained in a follow-up video.
“For some libraries, it's doing something like this: having an unrestricted card or making sure that a parent, a legal guardian, signs an affidavit.”
The bill also requires any book containing LGBTQ+ themes and characters to be moved to the adult section, which has led many libraries to refuse its enforcement and opt instead to close their doors
Image credits: carlyjdot
"Even sadder, some of the smaller community libraries have been closed since July 1 because they just don't have the funding to restructure a library like this or the funding to get sued every time someone gets offended," the mom explained.
Certain libraries, such as Donnelly Public Library, have opted instead to prohibit children altogether and become adult-only in an effort to avoid any potential legal repercussions arising from the bill.
Image credits: carlyjdot
Other libraries, such as Preston Library, have taken more extreme measures and have closed their doors to the public altogether, opting to operate out of a drive-up window instead.
“There’s a fair amount of books in the young adult section with LGBTQ+ themes or characters which need to be moved to the adult section because the law includes acts of homosexuality in its definition of sexual content harmful to minors,” explained the director of the library, Laura Wheatley, to Idaho Reports.
"What about our marginalized groups? What about these smaller communities? What about these kids that don't get to come in with their parents? What about grandparents taking their grandchildren and they're not their legal guardian? What about teenagers that are looking for answers about eating disorders, about abuse?" Anderson continued.
Viewers sympathized with Anderson’s experience, with many urging others to participate in their communities to overturn the bill and similar measures that might arise in the future
Image credits: carlyjdot
“I can't believe this is real life. Our state is off its rocker,” said one commenter.
“I literally spent most evenings and every weekend choosing my books in the library and then sitting under a tree outside to start my new treasures. This is so sad,” one viewer lamented.
“Libraries don't need to be restricted. Librarians are with you!” shared another.
“As a school librarian who was restricted in my library as a kid, this angers my soul,” added one worker.
“Trust me as a library director in Alabama, we’re all sick of it. They tried to push something similar here,” stated another librarian.
A lawsuit has since been filed to stop enforcement of House Bill 710, arguing violations of the First Amendment rights of private schools and libraries and 14th Amendment protections for the fundamental liberty interest of parents.
"Librarians are with you!" shared one worker as many others chimed in to complain about the bill
