To get an idea how far our public libraries have veered from their mission, consider this: A year ago I became aware of a disturbing fact. Our public librarians were using our public money to undermine our State law. Clearly an abuse of our money, and an abuse of their authority. How could it happen?
The short answer echoes what happened in Washington DC. Activists realized they can get into positions of power within taxpayer supported non-profit organizations and then use our money to spread their ideologies.
The American Library Association and the Iowa Library Association are perfect (and perfectly infuriating) examples. No more messy fund raising. The activist leaders within these organizations can push their ideology directly into every community in our State, and every school within our communities. Against our will, and with our own money. Infuriating indeed!
But get this – they have also figured out a way to use our money to indoctrinate our children and undermine our laws – entirely in secret. That’s right, entirely free of those pesky public information laws that are designed to ensure democracy through transparency and accountability.
How do they pull this off? According to the Iowa Public Information Board – which has denied a number of my complaints against Ames and Iowa City Public Libraries – all the public librarians have to do is claim they are communicating on behalf of the ILA, not the public library! Done! Now all their communications are suddenly top secret.
So imagine – these are public librarians, sitting in public libraries, using public computers and public email systems, organizing efforts to undermine public law – and their efforts are considered entirely secret – by our own Public Information Board! A secret society, working earnestly against the interests of you and me, using our money to do so, and we have no way to stop them,or even learn what they are doing.
So far I have brought 3 cases to the IPIB. Two have been dismissed out of hand, one they were forced to accept by their own flawed reasoning – but may soon reject in review. I appealed one case that the IPIB dismissed to district court, which is expensive in both time and money, but also in the effort it takes to learn how to navigate the appeals court system. And I will appeal to the district court other cases the IPIB has rejected. Because this is important.
What we are seeing is an outrageous abuse of our children, our money and our democracy by a once-trusted public institution. It doesn’t get much more important than that.
- Joe Monahan
Boone
